Memories of Tomorrow
by CritterKid
Summary: Sometimes losing yourself is just the beginning.
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: Stargate SG-1, it's characters, and all related entities are property of Stargate SG-1 Productions (II) Inc., MGM Worldwide Television Productions Inc., Double Secret Productions, Gekko Film Corp, and Showtime Networks Inc./ The SyFy Channel. No copyright infringement is intended. This story is for entertainment purposes only and not intended for commercial profit.

Authors Note: Although I don't usually write Alternate Universe something about this story couldn't be ignored. It branches off from canon somewhere during season 5, but does closely follow the adventures we all know and love. As always this story is finished and I will post one chapter a night until it is complete. Also any medical procedures are completely made up in order to work with the story.

I hope you enjoy.

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><p>Cameron Mitchell shielded his eyes as he exited the wormhole. The other members of his team fanned out, automatically securing the area. Vala Mal Doran, the newest member of his team, however, casually walked into the middle of the clearing the Stargate was located in.<p>

"Wasn't there supposed to be someone to meet us?" she asked, expectantly. "I mean, I do have better things to do with my time than wait around for someone who may not even come."

"I'm sure these people have your schedule firmly in mind," Cam retorted. He glanced around the clearing, noticing his team's relaxed stance. Movement at the outskirts of the city alerted him to the arrival of our guide.

"Welcome friends," the native told them, bowing deeply. "My name is Healer Vash. Healer Koln, the leader of the Sanctuary, intended to meet you as well however an unexpected occurrence has delayed his arrival. If you will permit, I will take you to him to converse."

"Lead the way," Cam said, heading toward the path Healer Vash was starting to climb down. "Don't touch anything," he warned Vala as she came up behind him.

"I am appalled that you think I would steal from these people Cameron," she replied while following the group down the path, "especially without knowing what these people have to offer. I do have standards you know."

"You're standard is anything that isn't nailed down," Cam replied.

"Shows how much you know," Vala retorted as the group emerged from the forest and got their first look at the village. "Besides, I doubt there is anything down there worth stealing."

Before them lay a large courtyard, stretching as far as the eye could see. A tall stone wall marked the boundaries of the courtyard. Several buildings were scattered throughout the clearing. Beyond the walls the team got a glimpse of a swampy wasteland.

"Welcome to the Sanctuary," Healer Vash said with pride. "Come, come," Healer Vash instructed as he began walking down the steep path. The team quickly followed him, sparing a backward glance as they went. The Stargate was located on a rise overlooking a lush valley. It was a heavily wooded area, and the team noticed for the first time it too was enclosed by the large wall. Healer Vash led them through the courtyard and into one of the buildings nearby. "If you will just wait here," Vash told them, pointing to a spacious waiting room, "I shall announce your presence."

"Is something wrong," Cam asked, sensing Vash's apprehension.

"Wrong, No, but I fear Healer Koln is still occupied. Please wait for a moment." He exited through a door, only to return a few minutes later with two other people. One was an older man, the other a young woman. The woman gave them the barest of nods as she passed, pausing for a fraction of a second at the door before leaving.

"Everything okay?" Cam asked, gripping his weapon a little tighter. The woman looked spooked and it had him being cautious.

"I must apologize," the man said, moving toward them. "I had planned on meeting you at the Doorway myself, but she had an… unexpected episode. I trust Healer Vash was able to make you feel welcome."

"Yes he did," Cam replied. "And who would you be?"

"I must apologize again," the man laughed. "I am Healer Koln. Welcome to the Sanctuary."

"Lieutenant Colonel Cameron Mitchell," Cam introduced himself, "and this is my team, Major Curtis Bailey, Captain Nigel Roberts, Sergeant Adam Jorgensen, and Vala Mal Doran." Healer Koln acknowledged the members of his team.

"I am so pleased to meet you all. It is not often that we receive strangers to the Sanctuary."

"What is the purpose of the Sanctuary, Healer?" Bailey asked.

"We heal the mind." Koln leaned forward in his chair. "It is our legacy, a gift and sometimes a curse, passed down throughout time. Do you know of the Goa'uld?" Bailey nodded his head. "Our people were brought here at the beginning of time and spread across all the habitable worlds in our planetary system. A Goa'uld brought them here to experiment on them, to create the perfect host. Throughout the ages, he got closer and closer to his perfect host, only to disappear."

"What happened to him?" Cam asked.

"We are unsure. Some believe he is dead, others believe he is waiting until the right time to return."

"The right time?"

"When his experiment comes to fruition. When his perfect host is realized." He stood to his feet and began pacing. "You see, my people are the result of his experimentation. We have gifts, gifts that grow stronger each generation. Many fear when we grow strong enough he will return."

"What kind of gifts?" Roberts asked.

"We have various mental abilities, both telepathic and empathic. For years we debated what to do with our gifts, until we realized we must help those who were harmed in our name. The other worlds were ravaged by the Goa'uld, all so he could continue his experiment. We vowed to help the descendents of those worlds, to repay the debt that was taken."

"So their sick people come here and you help them?" Bailey asked, trying to understand.

"Not their physical ailments," Healer Koln corrected them, "for the body is much easier to understand than the mind. But we have a special insight many physicians do not possess. We can feel our visitors' pain. We know their thoughts and feelings, sometimes better than they themselves do. We offer aid to all those who seek it."

"And what happens if the Goa'uld returns?" Vala asked. "Will your skills be enough to save your people?"

"Unfortunately no," Koln said sadly, "which is why we also seek allies against them. Allies who would be willing to protect us in exchange for various services we alone can provide."

"What about the people of the other worlds?" Bailey asked.

"There is a… tentative peace among the other planets of the system; however they are not technologically advanced. They have promised to help, but it would result in little more than a gesture. We simply do not have the technology to defend ourselves when the Goa'uld finally returns. We had hoped to one day meet a more formidable race that could benefit from our gifts and create an alliance."

"Do you use any kind of medicine?" Roberts asked excitedly.

"Medicine is for the body, not the mind." Koln looked at him quizzically. "Do you use medicine for the mind?"

"Sometimes," Roberts explained. "We've found that some psychological conditions have physical causes. Most are caused by chemical imbalances in the brain. We have certain medication that helps restore the balance, allowing the person to live a normal, healthy life."

"That is interesting." Koln looked at him thoughtfully. "And this medicine, it heals them?"

"No, not quite heal. We really don't know enough about mental diseases to say when someone is cured. But it does help keep the symptoms away."

"That is wonderful. A medicine to help the mind was never thought of. As you will see, we are kept very busy." Koln was quite for a moment before turning to Colonel Mitchell. "Would you be willing to trade for this medicine?"

"It's not that simple," Roberts interjected. "Our two peoples look very much alike, but there could be genetic differences. Your mental abilities testify to that. Our medicine may be harmful to your people."

"I understand your concerns," Koln admitted, "but the medicine would not be for my people, rather for our visitors. They do not share our mental abilities. Would there be any way to tell if the medicine would be harmful to them?"

"We would need to run some tests," Roberts told them. "A DNA comparison would be a good place to start."

Koln frowned. "We do not have a 'DNA comparison'." Roberts chuckled.

"You don't need one, Healer Koln," he reassured him. "All we need is a genetic sample, like blood, of the individual. We have technology that can extract the DNA and compare it with our own."

"And if the samples are similar, the medicine might work on our people also." Koln looked at them hopefully.

"It's a start." Koln nodded, closing his eyes momentarily. When he opened them again he explained.

"I have told Healer Vash what you require. He is gathering blood samples as we speak and will meet us at the Doorway. Now, if there is enough time, would you care for a brief tour of the Sanctuary?" The team spent the next few hours being shown around. The courtyard was the central locale; all the buildings were connected to it. Living quarters, guest quarters, a hospital, an atrium, a school, even a very primitive science building branched off it. Eventually they were led back to the center of the courtyard. They continually bombarded Healer Koln with questions, which he was more than willing to answer.

"How many habitable planets are in this system?" Cam asked.

"Seven," Koln replied, "though habitable may be a bit of an exaggeration. The Goa'uld truly ravaged all the planets in the system, leaving only when all the resources had been depleted. Throughout the generations the inhabitants have tried to reclaim their worlds, some with greater success than others."

"And do all these worlds exist peacefully with each other?" Cam asked.

"I wouldn't go so far as to call it peaceful," Koln admitted. "Unfortunately our history is one of war. Regrettably the Monks of the past did little to aid their neighbors and fostered war between the planets. However in the interest of self preservation the planets did created a loose Coalition, and in the last few generations there have been more talk of peace than war. I am hopeful peace can be maintained, though I fear a single act can set the system back on the path of war it has known so well."

"You do realize before we can make any sort of alliance we will need to meet the governments of these other planets." Cameron mentioned.

"I had thought that might be the case," Koln admitted. "The Sanctuary has emerged as neutral ground. Any negotiations that need to be made can be done here. Also, I can arrange for shuttles to take you to the other planets so you can meet with their leaders beforehand."

"Shuttles?" Vala asked. "They don't have Stargates?"

"No," Koln told them, "The only Stargate in this system is at the Sanctuary."

"I thought you said the rest of the planets weren't technologically advanced," Cam asked.

"They're not," Koln reaffirmed. "The shuttles are left over remnants of the Goa'uld. They were his primary way of moving resources from the different planets to this place. When he disappeared, all his technology remained."

"Is there any Goa'uld technology still around?" Vala asked hopefully. Cam frowned at her.

"None, aside from the shuttles," Koln admitted, "and they are in desperate need of repair. We do not have the technological knowledge to completely fix and maintain the fleet of shuttles left us. Many times we scrounge parts from non working ships to repair what few remain. Keeping these few shuttles operational is one of the few things the planets agree upon.

"Maybe we can help with that," Cam offered.

"And any extra ships I will be happy to take off your hands," Vala added.

"We are not stealing their ships," Cam insisted, turning Vala around to talk quietly to her.

"Of course not Cameron," she assured him, "we are merely taking their junk and disposing of it for them."

"For profit," Cam accused.

"There's no guarantee," Vala reminded him.

"It is still stealing," he hissed.

"Fine," Vala rolled her eyes before turning back to the Healer. "I'll give you a share of the profit. Say five percent?"

"Vala," Cam shouted while Healer Koln merely chuckled.

"There is plenty of time to discuss this matter," Koln told them, "however I do believe it is time for you to return to your planet." He began to lead them back to the Stargate.

Nearing the Stargate, Healer Vash joined them. "Here are the samples you asked for," Vash said as he handed them a large container. "I hope that you have enjoyed your time at the Sanctuary. I look forward to seeing you again."

"As do I," Koln agreed.

"Dial home," Cam instructed before facing the two Healers. "Thank you for your hospitality and kindness. I hope our two peoples can become friends."

"As do we," Healer Koln said truthfully.

"Code sent, Sir," Bailey said, coming next to his CO. Cam nodded and turned to leave when Koln's voice stopped him.

"Remember, even if a treaty between our worlds and yours is does not work out, all are welcome in the Sanctuary who come in peace." Cam nodded before leading his team through the Stargate. Stepping out on the other side, he glanced up into the Control Room in time to see General Hammond step up to the mike.

"Welcome home, SG-1."


	2. Chapter 2

Warnings and disclaimer in chapter 1.

Enjoy.

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><p>"I think it's definitely worth looking into, Sir." SG-1 had finished their postgate medicals and were in the conference room debriefing the General. They had finished going over the facts and were now debating on how to proceed.<p>

"Do they have anything valid to offer us?" Hammond asked.

"Their telepathic powers are more advanced than any I have ever witnessed, General," Sergeant Jorgensen answered. "They've already said the Sanctuary is open to all who need help. The relief for mental strain in the military in general, and the SGC specifically would be enormous. Also if they would permit us to do some tests to learn how they have these abilities, the results could change the way we view mental illness immensely, even revolutionize our whole understanding of the brain itself."

"Also there's huge potential from the series of worlds that make up that system," Major Bailey added. "If the Goa'uld did not abandon that world voluntarily, there's the possibility that there are still valid naquadah veins on the planet that could be mined."

"Don't forget the possibility of profit," Vala spoke up. "There's always a market for cargo ships, even if they are a bit old. It sounds as if a good mechanic is all that is needed to hit the jackpot. Not to mention any other items that we may find." Cameron rolled his eyes at her. "What? I would of course split the profits with them. Five percent is more than generous."

"What about the political situation there," Hammond asked, ignoring Vala's profiteering. "You said yourself the neighboring planets have a history of a near constant state of war. I don't want to send my people into a potential warzone."

"Yes Sir," Cam agreed, "but they also all agreed the Sanctuary was neutral ground. All who go there are safe." He stopped for a moment, taking a deep breath before continuing. "Sir, let us do the DNA comparisons and talk to these people again. I believe they have much more to offer to us than they want from us. We just need some time."

"Very well," Hammond sighed. "Proceed with negotiations on P7X-375. Dismissed." Hammond stood and exited to his office, barely noticing SG-1 as they filed out. Shutting the door behind him, he engrossed himself in paperwork. A knock on his door made him jump. "Enter," he called, surprised to find several hours had passed.

"Sir," Colonel Jack O'Neill called as he entered the office. He casually looked around, noticing the piles of folders on the general's desk. "Is this a bad time?"

"Not at all, Colonel. Come in." Jack nodded and sat down in a chair, handing a folder to Hammond as he did.

"The results of the latest group, Sir. I think they should be ready for a field trip in a few days."

"How are the new recruits doing Colonel?" Hammond asked. He would read the report eventually, but he wanted Jack's opinion rather than impersonal military reports.

"There's potential there, Sir." Jack started massaging his temples. "Woods and Rogers show real leadership abilities. Michaels is soaking up new technology like a sponge. Long keeps getting killed."

Hammond chuckled at that before getting serious. "How are you doing Jack?" He could see the dark circles around his eyes, the signs of many sleepless nights. Hammond knew he had his own set.

"As well as can be expected, given the time," Jack answered honestly.

"I know son." They both sat there unmoving until Jack cleared his throat.

"Sir, I hate to drop this and run, but I have lots of fun things to plan for the group. May I?" he asked, gesturing to the hall. Hammond nodded and Jack quickly left. Returning to his office, Jack turned on his computer. Pulling the top file from his In Box, he quickly got to work. An hour later he got tired of looking at a blank screen. Putting the file back on top of his In Box, he folded his arms and put his head on his desk. He was so tired. Just rest his eyes for a bit, then he'd get back to work.

"_Remind me what we're doing again?"_

"_We're trying to help them," Sam replied, heading up the ramp._

"_Why?"_

"_Because it's what we do." He grinned at her joke and followed her through the wormhole. Organized chaos on the other side. SG personnel going everywhere as they tried to help the Creillon._

_Heading over to the power planet when he heard of the shooting. Arriving just in time to see the local authorities drag a shell shocked Sam away. The President not authorizing the use of force to retrieve her._

"_Jack!" she cried as they led her away. "Jack!"_

"Jack!" Jack jumped as the sound invaded his nightmare. Eyes wide, he looked around the room, calming when he saw Daniel standing on the other side of his desk. Forcing his shaking hands to stop, he took a calming breath before answering his friend.

"Daniel. What can I do for you?"

"Teal'c is due in a few minutes. I thought you'd want to be there." He didn't ask Jack about his nightmare, he had a pretty good idea what it was about. He started having them about this time of year too.

"Yeah," Jack said, standing up and stretching. He casually replaced the items he knocked over on his desk before leaving with his friend. "Hey, how was P…"

"8X289," Daniel supplied for him as they reached the elevator. He swiped his card and waited patiently for the doors to open. "It was nice." The doors opened and they got in. Jack punched the button for level 32. Daniel waited for the doors to close before he continued. "Nice people. We were actually able to find a lot of important artifacts. The walls were incredibly preserved, along with everything else inside. It was a nice tomb." Daniel stopped, suddenly realizing what he said. Turning to Jack, he opened his mouth to apologize only to be stopped by his friend.

"Don't," Jack said, the pain clearly showing on his face. The rest of the trip was made in an awkward silence. Jack burst out of the elevator as soon as the doors opened. By the time they made it to the Gate Room, Daniel could tell his military mask was firmly in place again.

"Colonel, Dr. Jackson," General Hammond greeted them as they joined him at the foot of the ramp. A few seconds later the Stargate activated. The iris slid firmly into place to protect the base, but soon opened up when Teal'c's iris code was received. Teal'c emerged from the event horizon, followed closely by Bra'tac.

"Shal'kek nem'ron," he greeted them in Jaffa style as he firmly clasped their arms.

"Welcome back Teal'c, Bra'tac," Daniel said, returning his greeting. "How is the Jaffa rebellion?"

"Growing stronger day by day. Many of our brothers are seeing the Goa'uld for the false gods they are."

"That's good to hear," Hammond said. "Dr. Fraiser is waiting for both of you in the infirmary, after which I would love to hear all about the Jaffa." The two Jaffa nodded and headed for the infirmary, Jack and Daniel accompanying them. The medical check complete, the debriefing took place. Everyone was happy to hear the rebellion was progressing better than anyone could have thought. The official debriefing was soon over. The men made plans for the next day before retiring for the night. Teal'c and Bra'tac were given guest quarters, while Jack and Daniel went to their own rooms.

The next morning, the three former members of SG-1 met in the mess hall. After eating a quick breakfast, they piled into Jack's truck. They decided to hit the grocery store first, knowing they wouldn't be in the mood to shop later on that day. They bought everything they needed then returned to Jack's house to unload. A few minutes later they were on their way.

Nobody spoke as they made the long drive; even Jack's driving was unusually tame. Arriving at the cemetery, they parked the truck and walked unerringly to the grave. "Hey Sam," Daniel spoke at last, breaking the silence. He leaned down and placed the small bouquet of flowers next to her headstone. "You'll be happy to know we're doing better. Not perfect, not by a long shot, but better." He then proceeded to tell her what had been happening at the SGC for the last year. As he talked, his voice got weaker and weaker, finally breaking as he shed tears for the woman he considered a sister. Giving himself a few minutes to cry, he traced his fingers over her name before walking off to the side.

Teal'c took his place, kneeling next to her headstone as he whispered his own tale. After a few minutes he joined Daniel, grasping his shoulder to show his support. He weakly smiled his thanks, than as one they turned as Jack began his tribute. They watched as he knelt beside her, softly talking to her in a way that he could talk to no one else. They watched as his shoulders started shaking, the one time he allowed himself to cry publicly. They gave him the time he needed, honored that he trusted them enough to cry in front of them. There was a time after the incident when Daniel wondered if they would ever have that trust again.

"O'Neill," Teal'c called out, knowing Jack did not want to cry in front of others. Jack pulled himself together, wiping furiously at his eyes before standing up and rejoining his friends. A few minutes later General Hammond, Bra'tac, and Jacob arrived at the gravesite. He could see a car pull up and saw Janet and Cassie slowly make their way toward them.

"Sir," Jack called out, as they joined the newcomers. One by one they went over and talked to Sam. No one in the group said anything, just providing silent support as they paid tribute to their friend. Cassie cried openly after she returned from the headstone, Sam's death hit the young girl hard. Daniel grabbed her in a bear hug, clinging for dear life as his own tears mixed with the teenager's. The others surrounded her, giving the support they knew she needed. After a few minutes she quieted down, smiling her thanks though she dared not vocalize it in case she started crying again. When everyone was done, they piled into their vehicles and drove over to Jack's house.

Within minutes, thanks to everyone helping, they had their BBQ started. They would laugh and tell stories of Sam which would have everyone smiling. Occasionally there would be tears and sniffles, but they never lasted long. That was what the gravesite was for, to mourn her. The BBQ was to commemorate her. Hammond glanced over at his once premier team, arguing over Jack's ability to burn steaks, and thought about that day four years ago when everything fell apart.

He knew as soon as they exited the Stargate that they would never be the same again. He also knew they had witnessed her execution. They didn't say anything, merely walking past him toward the infirmary. The yelling started later, when they learned her death had been in vain.

The Creillon were a simple people, working to rebuild a world a disastrous civil war had torn apart. They had promised to share their knowledge with Earth, if the SGC would help them retrieve it. The President eagerly agreed after he learned the damage could only be caused by very advanced weapons. Everything was going good until the incident.

Major Carter had been accused of murder. She fiercely denied it, of course, but the local authorities wouldn't let them talk to her to find out what really happened. The SGC diplomatic core tried to get her released, promising she would be brought to justice when she returned home, but the local government refused. Hammond, and Jack, had requested the use of force to extract her, but the President denied the request, stating the potential for technology outweighed one human life. Hammond didn't like that, but he could accept it. He knew Sam would gladly give her life to help defend Earth, and he knew eventually the other members of SG-1 would realize that. When they returned without her, he knew that was the case.

He never made them return to the planet. He was wondering where her body was until SG-9 quietly told him there was no body to bring back. The funeral went as well as could be expected. He gave the team downtime, but was unsurprised to find out they came back to the base to work. Knowing they needed something to keep them occupied he left them to their projects. Everything was getting back to normal until SG-15 returned from the Creillon with disturbing news. The Creillon had no advanced technology. The advanced weapons came from an invading race, the invasion was the reason their civil war started. They had absolutely nothing that could help Earth.

Hammond was considering retiring right then and there. Jack did retire, after punching a hole in the concrete wall and disappearing for three weeks. Teal'c compared the US Government to that of the Goa'uld, caring about their own petty whims more than the people who serve it. He then demanded to go to the Land of Light to be with his wife and son. Hammond numbly agreed, insisting he take a GDO and reminding him he would always be welcome though he secretly wondered if the Jaffa would ever step foot on Earth again. Daniel, following his two teammate's leads, found the furthest archeological dig he could and left without saying goodbye.

A month had passed when he felt inexplicably drawn to her gravesite. He was surprised to find Daniel and Jack there, even more surprised when Teal'c arrived an hour later. Tensions were high. They were blaming each other and themselves, just as he was. He wasn't sure when the screaming started, but he knew it would go on a while. The shouting was interrupted by a sniffling voice. "Shut up!" The four men turned around and noticed Janet and Cassandra for the first time.

"Cass," Jack said, stepping toward her.

"Don't," she spit, tears flowing down her cheeks. Janet's arms tightened around her daughter as she continued. "You can't keep blaming each other. That's not what Sam would've wanted. It's not what I want. I just lost Sam. I don't want to lose all of you too." She choked on the last sentence, turning in her mother's embrace to cry on her shoulder. The men looked at each other ashamedly before joining the two women in a group hug.

That was the start of the healing, Hammond recalled. The insight of one young lady whose world was crashing down around her had saved them all. Hammond returned to his office and shredded his resignation, unsurprised when Jack showed up and asked him to do the same with his. Teal'c and Daniel joined them and they sat down to discuss the future of SG-1. Hammond wasn't surprised when they said they didn't want to go through the Stargate on a continuous basis anymore, but was pleased to learn they did want to stay at the SGC.

Daniel took over the archeological department. He began to supervise the teams studying the various artifacts that were brought back. He would go on the occasional offworld dig, but was content to spend most of his time in his office. Jack took over training at the SGC, which after his initial grumbling he was surprisingly adept with. He also would occasionally go offworld, on training missions with new recruits and the occasional rescue mission where they needed his expertise, but like Daniel he was content to stay on base.

Teal'c was the difficult one. Having felt betrayed by the government, he felt he could no longer remain on an active SG team. While he still trusted the men and women of the SGC, he could no longer trust the organization that commanded them. He began training with Jack, when he heard news of a Jaffa rebellion. He contacted Bra'tac and learned his people had started fighting for their freedom. With General Hammond's blessing, he left the SGC to fight with his people. Hammond insisted he take a GDO with him again, although this time we was sure his friend would return. Teal'c ended up spending more and more time with the rebellion, nursing it through its infancy and helping it stand. He was also instrumental in a treaty between the Tau'ri and the Jaffa. They had plan, fought, and won many battles together. But as hectic as Teal'c's schedule had become, he always returned on this day to pay homage to his lost friend.

The BBQ was winding down as the day grew longer. The BBQ was common knowledge at the SGC, having been unofficially made the SGC's memorial day. Several personnel, both military and civilian, stopped by to celebrate life and mourn death, not only for Major Carter but for all who had died in the service of the SGC. As night fell, Hammond said his goodbyes, noticing Janet and Cassie did the same. He knew Daniel and Teal'c would spend the weekend here, taking and giving strength, pulling each other through the way that team always did. On Monday morning, they would be ready to face another year.

Monday came too quickly for the General's liking. He had taken the weekend off himself, and had been dismayed to see the number of folders in his In Box. He went to work with gusto, stopping when the Klaxon's blared announcing the arrival of a wormhole. Leaving his office, he went to the control room in time to receive SG-1's iris code. Colonel Mitchell reported negotiations were going well with the Healers and they requested to come learn more about Earth and the possible medicine's that could help them help others. General Hammond readily agreed. He watched as SG-1 stepped through the Gate, followed by an alien. Hammond was introduced to the alien, Healer Vash, before they headed to the infirmary. Not only did Healer Vash need to be examined, he was also curious about the medicine they told him about.

He smiled as he made his way back to his office. Jack was waiting for him, having made himself at home while he was waiting. "Colonel," he greeted as he took his place behind his desk.

"General," Jack jumped, not hearing the man come in. "I hope you don't mind?"

"Not at all, Jack," Hammond assured him.

"I was thinking about the latest batch of kids," Jack said, motioning to the file on Hammond's desk as he retook his seat. "They're a little too cocky for my liking, Sir, like this is all a game for them. I was wondering if we could get Teal'c to ambush us on one of our soil sample missions. You know, bring them down a notch or two. Show them how serious this is. And you know Teal'c always loves scaring the new recruits."

"That he does. I think we can work something out. I'll leave you and Teal'c to work out the details." Jack nodded. "Now about those personnel reviews." They spent the next couple hours reviewing the new recruits, discussing the best place to put them when they completed Jack's orientation course. Hammond was just about to call for a break when there was a knock at his door. "Come," he ordered, grateful for the respite. He looked up when he saw Dr. Fraiser enter the room. "Doctor?" he asked, concerned when he saw how pale she was. Jack looked up when he heard the change in Hammond's voice.

"Janet?" he asked, quickly grabbing her arm and helping her to her sit down. She looked pale, like she saw a ghost, and was trembling slightly. She hadn't looked this bad since… "Is it Cass?" he asked, starting to panic.

"No," she quickly reassured him. "She's fine as far as I know."

"What's wrong Doctor?" Hammond asked. Janet glanced at him before looking at Jack. She silently debated with herself if she should ask him to leave, but quickly abandoned the thought. If she was right, he would be furious with her for shutting him out. She motioned toward the door, which he stood and promptly shut. He detoured to the side desk, pouring a glass of water which he gently handed her before sitting down in the next chair. She gratefully drank the water, using the time to prepare herself for what she had to say. When she was done, she turned so she was addressing the General.

"Sir, as per your orders, I had my team analyze the blood samples retrieved by SG-1. The preliminary report was on my desk when I arrived. One of the samples had some abnormalities: naquadah and a protein marker."

"Well, that answers the question of where did the Goa'uld go," Jack said, trying to lighten the mood. This was starting to sound familiar, and painful, to him. He looked at Janet, hoping she would roll her eyes at him, only to notice she had gone even paler.

"The protein marker looked familiar," she continued, not daring to look Jack in the eye. "I rushed a DNA comparison. The results got in a few minutes ago." She held out a folder to the General. "It's…" she faltered, praying the General could figure it out himself.

The General slowly opened the file. Inside were two DNA charts. Studying them, he saw they were identical to his untrained eye. He wondered why Janet had been so upset until he caught the name on the second sheet. "Could there be a mistake?" he asked quietly, shutting the folder as if it had burnt him. The doctor merely shook her head.

"What?" Jack asked, grabbing for the folder when Hammond had also turned whiter. It took him a few more minutes before he understood. "Sam," he whispered. His momentary calm soon disappeared and he began pacing around the office. "This can't be," he told her.

"DNA doesn't lie Sir."

"A Clone? Someone from an alternate universe?"

"I'm sorry Sir," she apologized to Jack, hoping to calm him down. "The DNA is a perfect match. Even with the Asgard's superior cloning technique, there was still a differentiation. An alternate universe is possible, but I don't believe it's likely."

"Can we even be sure the sample came from Major Carter?" Hammond asked, needing answers.

"Yes Sir," Janet answered. "The only person the sample could have come from was Sam."

"But that's not possible," Jack said, running out of steam and returning to his seat. Holding his head in his hands, he continued, "We saw her… I saw her being eaten alive by that thing. There was nothing left." He closed his eyes tightly, shuddering as the memories rushed through his mind.

"It's possible," Janet said quietly, "that they obtained the sample before Sam died. But why would they do that?" She looked back and forth between the two men; hoping one of them had any answers on why she was testing a blood sample from her dead best friend.

"Let's find out," Jack suddenly said in a sinister voice. Before they could stop him he was out the door.

* * *

><p>"This is your medical facility?" Healer Vash asked in an awed voice. He suspected he would need to undergo some sort of medical exam when he asked to come to Earth. He was impressed by the cleanliness of the area, something the clinics on the other worlds lacked.<p>

"Doesn't have the best view," Daniel said, joining the team in the infirmary when they returned, "but it is one of the best."

"Healer Vash," Cameron began as Daniel moved to join them, "may I present Dr. Daniel Jackson." Daniel nodded deeply toward him, having learned long ago that a handshake was not a universal greeting.

"Dr. Daniel Jackson," Vash repeated, bowing his own head in greeting. "Do you work here?" he asked, indicating the infirmary.

"In this installation, yes, but not in the infirmary."

"But you are a doctor?" he asked, finding these people very strange.

"I am a Doctor, but not a medical doctor," Daniel explained. "On our world, most professions have differing levels of education associated with them. I have completed the doctorate level in my particular field, so I am given the title of Doctor.

"I see," Vash said, understanding more of their society. "And what is your profession?"

"I am a Doctor of archeology and anthropology," he explained. "I study the culture and history of people, both those of our own planet and those we meet throughout the galaxy."

"I see," Vash said again. He was led to a bed and instructed to get on for his medical check. He was amazed when he saw several different people doing the same procedures on the members of SG-1, and constantly bombarded Daniel with questions. He learned that there were different levels of education for all professions, which allowed for much more flexibility, both choosing a profession and keeping the required number of people in any profession.

"Is that not how it is on your world?" Daniel asked, as curios about his planet as he was about Earth.

"No," Vash replied. "When our young are born, the wisest among us looks into their mind. They find their power and place them in a clan that will promote their power. They are never given a choice of what they want to do. Many of them never leave the profession into which they are placed."

"Really." Daniel was flabbergasted. He couldn't imagine not being able to choose his own life. He was about to ask another question when he Dr. Warner made his way to see them.

"Healer Vash, I am pleased to say you appear to be in perfect health. I was told you would be interested in our genetic sequencing?"

"Very much so," he said as he followed him to the far side of the infirmary. "Many of our visitors have minor, but persistent episodes. If there is medicine that could help these poor people, we could devote more attention to those who truly require our help." Warner spent the next few hours showing Vash the genetic results, patiently explaining the charts and graphs and telling him what would be needed next. Vash was astonished that something as complex as the body could be broken down into such simple pieces. More and more he was beginning to realize science was a powerful thing, and he despaired for his people that had just recently began learning it. He never heard the footsteps behind him as a pair of strong hands grabbed him by the throat. He found himself flying through the air, landing hard against the wall while the same hands turned him around to face his captor.

"Why?" said the man, his voice as cold as ice. He looked into the man's mind and almost passed out at the intensity of hate and anger he found there. The man's fingers started tightening around his throat and he did the only thing he could think of. He sent a powerful suggestion to the unruly man. The man remained standing for a few more seconds before succumbing to the suggestion. Vash grabbed hold of the man, carefully guiding him to the floor as he fell. Once the man was safely on the ground Vash looked around, sensing nothing but surprise and confusion from the people in the room.

"What did you do to him?" Vash looked around, not sure if they were talking to him or the man. He was unprepared when a lady rushed towards him, violently pushing him away from the crazed man.

"Janet, what's going on here," Daniel asked as he helped Vash stand up. He jumped when the General rounded the corner with several security forces, their weapons pointed at him. "General?" he asked again.

"What do you want with my people?" Hammond demanded.

"What?" Daniel and Vash asked at the same time.

"One of the samples of blood you provided was of one of my Officers. What did you want with it?" Daniel shuddered at the venom in Hammond's voice.

"What?" Vash repeated, clearly confused. He looked at Daniel helplessly.

"General, what are you talking about?" Daniel asked, putting himself between the scared alien and weapons.

"How did you get a sample of Major Carter's blood?" Hammond coldly asked, ignoring Daniel for the moment. Daniel turned and looked at Vash, comprehension dawning for him. He looked down at Jack and then to the angry face on the General. Turning back to the Healer, he suddenly jumped back as if he was burned.

"Sam," he whispered softly, searching the alien's expressionless face for any signs of deception.

Vash was scared. For the first time since he left the Sanctuary he didn't think he would be able to return. And it wasn't just the man's attack, for he dealt with violent visitors on a daily basis. He was truly worried when the current of the room began to change. He had tuned out the General's words after the first question, not knowing what he was referring to. Instead, he focused his attention on the feelings of the others in the room. He could feel them move from confusion and surprise to distrust and anger. He was startled when he felt Daniel jump away from him.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he told them, pouring all of his truth and fear into the words. Normally he would use his abilities to send calming thoughts to his visitors, something he was adept at, but his instinct told him it wouldn't work on these people. Instead he used his abilities to make them understand his feelings.

"General, what's going on?" Daniel asked, regarding Vash with distrust.

"One of the samples SG-1 brought back a few days ago was a vial of Sam's blood," Janet told him from her position on the ground. "What did you do to him?" she asked sharply, referring to the Colonel on her floor. The rest of the room winced at her tone. That tone out of the gentle doctor was never a good sign.

"I sent a calming suggestion to him," Vash replied truthfully. "He should awaken soon." Janet glared at him, motioning some orderlies to get Jack into a bed. As she examined him, Daniel was trying to fit the pieces together in his mind.

"How did you get Sam's blood?" he asked, Jack's attack making more sense now.

"Please, I don't know who Sam is. Please," Vash begged.

"Major Carter… Sam was my friend." Daniel told him harshly. "How did you get a sample of her blood?"

"I don't know who she is," he repeated. "I took samples of many of the visitors' blood, as was requested of me." Daniel sighed before looking at Janet.

"Were the samples labeled in any way?" he asked. Janet merely shook her head. Daniel sighed again. He didn't think Vash was malicious in any way, but Jack and the General, and even Janet he realized, had some doubts. Daniel turned, running into Janet's office, returning a few minutes later with something pressed against his chest. "This is Sam," he said softly, unfolding his arms and handing Vash the picture of his friend that Janet kept on her desk. Vash took the picture, studying it for a minute before his face began to soften.

"Kianna," he whispered.


	3. Chapter 3

Warnings and disclaimer in chapter 1.

Enjoy.

* * *

><p>"There was no sign of Major Carter in the Sanctuary," Cam reported to the group assembled in the briefing room. It had been several hours since the incident in the infirmary. In order to deflate the situation before it exploded, Hammond had ordered Healer Vash taken to a VIP room. The alien had gone without incident, for which the General was thankful.<p>

The incident had left more questions than answers though, and soon the entire base was talking about the lost Major. As Vash said, Colonel O'Neill had woken up with no permanent damage that Janet could detect. Hammond immediately called a meeting with the former members of SG-1, Dr. Fraiser, and the current CO of SG-1.

"Did you get a good look at everybody?" Daniel asked.

"No. There were hundreds of people there, spread throughout the Sanctuary," Cam admitted, "and that was just the people outside the buildings. There were even more people indoors."

"Did you get a sense these people were being held against their will?" Hammond asked.

"Not at all Sir," he answered immediately. "In fact, many of them appeared glad to be there."

"She's obviously been brainwashed Sir," Jack finally spoke up. "We need to get her out of there now."

"I didn't get a sense of any maliciousness from the Healers," Cam told Jack. "If it is her, they might not even know she's being held against her will."

"Maybe it's time we ask the Healer," Hammond said. He turned to face a nearby airman. "Airman, escort Healer Vash to the briefing room." The man nodded and hurried away. Hammond turned back to the assembled group. "I trust there will be no more outbursts."

"Yes Sir," Jack said, sinking a little in his chair. A few minutes later the airman returned with Healer Vash in tow. Hammond motioned for the alien to have a seat.

"Thank you for cooperating with us Healer Vash," Hammond started. "I would like to get to the bottom of this as quickly and as peacefully as possible."

"As would I," Vash added. "However your people have made a mistake."

"How so?" Daniel asked.

"You believe Kianna is from your world. That is not possible."

"Our DNA tests say she is," Daniel told him.

"Yes, Doctor Warner explained DNA and showed me the comparisons. They are very similar, but they can't be from the same person."

"Why is that?" Hammond asked.

"Kianna's homeworld is Birona, the eighth planet in the system," Vash told the assembled group. "She can't be the woman you think she is."

"There's an easy way to resolve this," Jack suddenly spoke up. "Take us to Sam and we'll ask her ourselves." Vash shook his head solemnly.

"That would be impossible. Kianna has already returned home. She left the Sanctuary shortly after I did."

"What's the address?" Jack demanded.

"Birona does not have a Stargate," Vash replied. He slowly looked around the room. "The Sanctuary is a place of healing. A place of peace. We would never hold anyone against their will." He stopped for a moment before continuing. "Am I being held prisoner?"

"No," Hammond reassured him, "however I would appreciate your continue cooperation as we search for Major Carter."

"I would still very much like to stay and learn of your world," Vash said sincerely, the hope clearly on his face.

"You're very calm," Jack suddenly said, "considering what I'm going to do to you if I find out you hurt on hair on her head."

"Then my safety is assured, for I have never harmed Kianna in any way." He looked back to the General. "May I be allowed to continue with Dr. Warner?"

"Of course," Hammond replied after a few minutes, "but I must insist you be accompanied at all times." Vash nodded, accepting the arrangement. "Dr. Jackson, please escort Healer Vash to the infirmary." Daniel nodded and rose to his feet. Vash followed him but paused at the doorway.

"I must warn you General. If you return to my planet with any harmful intentions the others will know. They will defend themselves." Vash then proceeded to follow Daniel out of the briefing room. An uncomfortable silence followed the two men as they entered the elevator. When the door shut, Daniel turned to the alien.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course you can."

"How can you be so sure Kianna isn't Sam?" he asked.

"I have known Kianna for many years." Vash paused as if trying to find the right words to explain to Daniel. "When Kianna first came to the sanctuary, I was the only one able to help her. During this time, I developed strong feelings for her."

"You love her," Daniel interjected.

"I did," Vash admitted, "but it was clear her heart belonged to another. As I helped her and she prepared to leave, I found a little part of my heart leaving as well. When she returned, I found my heart soaring." He sighed. "It was soon obvious she did not return to be with me as I had naively hoped."

"She was sick again," Daniel guessed.

"Yes. Her illness had returned. Over the next few years she has become a regular at the Sanctuary. Every few cycles her illness returns as does she. While my feelings have not abated, we have developed a deep friendship. I would know if she were hiding anything this extreme." The elevator stopped and the doors opened. Daniel gestured to the open door and the two men slowly walked to the infirmary. "Daniel, I can feel your pain at the loss of your friend. I sympathize with your loss, but I will not allow your grief to ruin the life of another." They reached the doorway and paused, turning to face each other.

"I understand what you're saying, and I admire the length you will go to protect those you care about, but I wonder if you will consider this." He waited until he received an approving nod from the alien. "What if I'm right and that is Sam, and the reason you can't sense any deception in her is because she is unaware any deception has taken place. What if Sam is being held prisoner and isn't even aware of it?"

Healer Vash thought about this for a few minutes. "That would be most disturbing. The lengths one must go to maintain such a deception would be astronomical."

"Yes it would be," Daniel turned his head, looking into the infirmary. "Dr. Warner is waiting for you." With that Daniel walked away.

* * *

><p>General Hammond watched as Daniel led Healer Vash back to the infirmary. He turned to face the other men in the room.<p>

"I do not sense any deception," Teal'c said, speaking up for the first time.

"Someone's lying," Jack said, his anger momentarily leaving him. "If it's not the Healers…" Hammond looked at Colonel Mitchell.

"Colonel, can I assume they don't have any kind of record keeping system at all?"

"That would be correct Sir," Cam nodded. "They always felt that records compromised the privacy of their visitors."

"If we're assuming that the psychos are ignorant, who kidnapped Sam?" Jack asked as Daniel came back.

"Who else would have anything to gain from her kidnapping?" Hammond asked.

"There's the planet Vash said she comes from," Daniel told them. "Maybe they're using her."

"They did say they would arrange for us to meet the other planets in the system," Cam mentioned. "Maybe we should go meet the neighbors."

"Agreed. Colonel, prepare your team to ship out tomorrow morning," Hammond ordered. "Proceed with the original mission of assessing the potential of allies with these people; just keep an ear to the ground for anything suspicious that might be going on."

"Yes Sir," Cam responded.

"Permission to join SG-1 Sir?" Jack asked a second before Daniel could open his mouth.

"Denied," Hammond replied. "That applies to you as well Dr. Jackson."

"General," Jack protested.

"We need people with calm heads right now Colonel. Colonel Mitchell and his team will do the initial investigation of the situation. We will discuss where to go from there based on their findings. Are we clear?" He waited until all three men nodded their understanding. "Rest assured Jack, if the time comes for a rescue mission, you will be on that team."

"Understood Sir," Jack replied.

"Dr. Jackson," Hammond started, turning toward the archeologist. "I would like you to spend some time with Healer Vash, get a feel for their society. I would like to know how they would react if we did need to go in and extract Major Carter." Daniel nodded and Hammond turned his attention to Teal'c. "I can't order you to do anything son," he started.

"If you would permit," Teal'c interrupted, "I would like to remain at Stargate Command until this situation is resolved.

"We would be honored Teal'c," Hammond answered. "Dismissed."

* * *

><p>"Who is this person we are trying to find?" Vala asked as she leaned casually on the railing of the ramp leading to the wormhole.<p>

"Are you kidding," Bailey asked incredulously. "Major Carter is a legend here."

"When she was on SG-1, they took out tons of system lords," Roberts added.

"Saved the world at least as many times as we have," Bailey told her.

"Then there was that time she blew up a sun," Jorgensen added to the list. "Took out most of Apophis's fleet with a single swoop."

"She did that?" Vala asked with a new sense of wonder. "Tanith told everyone he sabotaged the fleet."

"You don't think any snakehead is going to admit he was bested by us lowly humans do you," Cam asked.

"Well no," Vala admitted, "but I didn't think the Tau'ri had that kind of technology."

"We don't," Bailey told her, "but Major Carter could always make it happen."

"What happened to her," Vala asked, intrigued by this woman.

"She died," Cam said, "or at least everyone thought she did. SG-1 was on a mission to help a race called the Creillon. There was an offworld incident involving Major Carter and she was executed. Her death led to the eventual breakdown of the original SG-1."

"Colonel O'Neill and Dr. Jackson are still affected by it," Roberts told her. "That's why they don't go offworld anymore."

"That's enough." Cam ordered as he looked up to the control room window. Jack and Teal'c were watching the wormhole intensely, while Daniel was watching as Vash communicated to the other Healers about the situation they found themselves in. Finally Vash nodded to General Hammond and got up and left the control room.

"SG-1. You have a go," Hammond ordered.

"Yes sir. SG-1, move out." Cam led his team through the Stargate. Healer Koln was waiting for him on the other side. "Healer," Cam acknowledged as he exited the gate.

"Welcome back to the Sanctuary, Colonel Mitchell."

"Healer Vash explained the situation?" Cam asked.

"He did," Healer Koln agreed. "And as Healer Vash explained, there is no duplicity in the Sanctuary." He began leading the team toward the Sanctuary. "May I talk to you in private Colonel?" Koln asked cryptically when they reached the Sanctuary.

"Of course," Cam quickly agreed, sensing a change in the mood of the Healer. He followed Koln into his office. "You think we might be on to something here," Cam stated once they were alone.

"There is no duplicity in the Sanctuary," he repeated. "It is one of the shortcomings of our gift. Even if a member of the Sanctuary wished to behave in such a manner, the other members would know and stop them. There is no privacy for the Monks."

"So you're not concerned about the other Healers," Cam concluded, "but you are concerned about someone."

"Our history is one of violence," Koln reiterated. "When the Goa'uld first disappeared, many wars broke out amongst the planets. Only recently has there been any semblance of peace."

"So they don't play well with others?" Cam surmised.

"In a manner of speaking," Koln admitted. "I know nobody at the Sanctuary would condone what you have described. I am not so sure the other planets are as noble. Tread carefully Colonel."

"Thanks for the warning," Cam told him. "We'll be discreet."

Koln nodded. "One more thing Colonel. If you do find what you are looking for, if we are indeed helping any sort of conspiracy…"

"We'll let you know," Cam interrupted.

"Thank you," Koln replied softly. "Now, let us start meeting our neighbors."

* * *

><p>Hammond sighed as he looked out his office window. SG-1 had left over a week ago, and soon after Jack, Daniel, and Teal'c had taken over his briefing room. He tried to get them to vacate the room, reminding them of their own work, but they had simply brought their work to the table. He doubted they were making much headway, but then looking at his own stack of barely touched paperwork, he admitted to himself he wasn't doing much better. Looking at the clock he was relieved to see SG-1 should be returning home anytime. As if on cue, the Stargate started spinning. "Incoming wormhole," Walter shouted out as Hammond stood up. He left his office and went down the stairs to the control room. Unsurprisingly the three men were already there.<p>

"Sir," Jack acknowledged from his position at Walter's shoulder.

"Colonel," Hammond responded before turning to Walter. "Sergeant?"

"Receiving SG-1's IDC sir," he answered after a minute.

"Open the iris," he ordered. Walter placed his hand on the scanner and the metal barrier retracted. The men watched with baited breath as the team emerged from the wormhole. Mitchell looked up and saw the men waiting in the control room and immediately headed for the briefing room, his team quickly following his lead.

"Report," Hammond ordered when everyone was in their seats.

"Roberts," Cam motioned. Captain Roberts nodded and began rifling through his pack. Turning back to the General, Cam started giving his report. "Healer Koln took us around to the various planets in the system. For the most part there is trading potential that we can explore."

"But," Jack asked.

"There is one planet that didn't sit right. They took us on a brief tour of their facilities and we saw this. Roberts?"

"Ready Sir." Roberts had pulled out his camcorder and found a particular spot. He quickly plugged the camcorder into the TV and started the footage. It showed what appeared to be a laboratory. Their host was explaining the function when the camera zoomed in on a very familiar face. She was working in an office when she suddenly looked up and stared right into the camera. Roberts stopped the recording, leaving the Sam's face on the screen.

"That's all we saw," Cam explained after a few minutes of silence. "Viceroy Loka finished the tour and sent us on our way. We kept our eyes open for any other sign of her, but we got nothing."

"What is your sense of these people?" Hammond asked.

"They're definitely hiding something sir," Cam answered.

"What of the other planets?" Hammond asked, unable to ignore such a potential resource.

"Pretty straightforward sir," Cam replied. "They're willing to open negotiations."

"And the Sanctuary?" Hammond asked. "Are they going to interfere?"

"I don't think so sir." Cam answered. "Koln seemed genuinely concerned about the possibility of duplicity. As long as we can validate our findings, I don't think he will give us any grief."

"I see," Hammond muttered under his breath. He had been thinking of this next move all week, and now that the time was here he was still undecided. He had been torn about what SG-1 would find, or more importantly who they would find. He half hoped his premier team would come back empty handed. It would be so much simpler to write this off as a horrendous coincidence. But on the other hand, he knew he would jump at the chance to restore any member of his command that had been lost.

Officially, his orders were to go for the Naquadah, and realistically, he knew how important such an abundant supply of the mineral could be for the Stargate Program, but how would his former front line team deal with being so close to Sam and not being able to save her. But then, could he live with himself if he turned a blind eye?

"Major Bailey," he announced a few minutes later, "I'm giving you temporary command of SG-1. Work with SG-9 and SG-11. Continue negotiations on all the planets of the Coalition save Birona."

"Understood Sir," he replied, barely managing to hide his shock.

"Colonel O'Neill," he continued, "prepare a team to go through the Stargate."

"Yes," Jack shouted satisfactorily.

"A small, non tactile team," Hammond quickly clarified seeing the look in Jack's eye. "Colonel Mitchell will be part of that team. Your mission will be negotiations on Birona."

"And if we find someone who isn't supposed to be there?" Jack asked intently.

"We don't leave our people behind." Hammond stood followed by the rest of the room. "Colonels, can I have a word in my office? The rest of you are dismissed." Hammond quickly retreated to his office, wanting a few minutes to gather his thoughts. He heard the briefing room slowly empty and a two pairs of boots slowly making their way to his door. He gestured them in, motioning to close the door as they passed.

"General?" Jack asked.

"You know this is all still circumstantial. It may not be Sam," Hammond cautioned, unwilling to let them relive the hell they went through when she first died.

"It's pretty damn convincing circumstantial, Sir."

"Jack, I need to know that you can maintain focus on this mission. We need to find the truth about the situation before we make any rash decisions."

"Understood Sir," Jack said, clenching his jaw together.

"Which is why I am assigning Colonel Mitchell to this mission," Hammond continued. "If at any time your judgment seems clouded, I am ordering Colonel Mitchell to take command." The two men looked at each other, sizing each other up before turning back to the General. "Is that understood?" Hammond asked.

"Yes Sir," the two men answered.

"Then prepare your team," Hammond ordered. "Dismissed."


	4. Chapter 4

Warnings and disclaimer in chapter 1.

Enjoy.

* * *

><p>"Are you nervous?" Roberts asked, pulling on his flak jacket.<p>

"Nah," Cam told them from his place by the door.

"But they're the legends," Bailey remarked.

"They're the best," Jorgensen agreed.

"We're the best," Cam countered. "They're just good." A snort from the other side of the room drew his attention. "What?"

"That's not what you were saying yesterday," Vala reminded him from her spot on the bench. "I believe the words you used were scared silly."

"That's not what I said," Cam retorted while the remaining three men smirked and finished gearing up. "I said Teal'c is intimidating. You said scary."

"Either way," she continued as the team left the locker room and made their way to the gate room, "I don't see why I can't go with Major Bailey. He is much more lovable than that Jaffa ever will be." Bailey smirked at the other two.

"First of all, we do not assign missions based on your personal preferences. Secondly, asking you to do diplomacy is about as effective as asking a lion to become a vegetarian." Vala frowned at Cam, then bounded ahead to call the elevator.

"Do you think SG-9 and SG-11 will be this entertaining?" Jorgensen asked while they waited for the elevator.

"Nothing is ever this funny," Bailey commented. The elevator doors opened and the team climbed in. Cam rolled his eyes as they headed to the twenty-eighth floor. The banter continued as the elevator reached the right floor and the team headed to the gate room. SG-9 and 11 were waiting for them. Cam gave a quick nod to the other team commanders. Up in the control room Hammond ordered the gate dialed. The wormhole whooshed into existence and the other teams quickly moved out.

"You'll do fine," Cam told Bailey as he lingered on the ramp.

"Yes Sir," he replied reluctantly.

"Besides," Cam continued as the rest of the team went through, "it's a simple negotiation. What could possibly go wrong?"

"Right," Bailey laughed before turning serious again. "Good luck Sir."

"You too." Bailey gave a quick salute and stepped through, the wormhole shutting down a few seconds later.

"Now what do we do?" Vala asked, from her perch on the railing.

"We get ready for our own mission."

They were eating lunch a few hours later when an angry Jack O'Neill came storming up. "We leave tomorrow morning, 0800 sharp," he barked before storming out of the commissary.

"Charming fellow," Vala remarked sarcastically.

"Well, he's under a lot of stress at the moment," Cam defended him.

"That's still no reason to be rude," a third voice said. Cam and Vala turned to see Dr. Jackson holding a tray. "May I?" he asked, pointing to the empty seat.

"Of course," Vala answered, moving her own tray out of the way. "I don't think we've ever been properly introduce. My name is…"

"Vala Mal Doran," Daniel interjected. "Our resident thief and scoundrel."

"See that Cameron," Vala said smugly, "I have a fan."

"Please don't get her started," Cam complained good-heartedly. Daniel chuckled as he transferred his food from the tray to the table. Turning to the archeologist he asked, "Any idea what the holdup is?"

"The pentagon decided Teal'c needed to pass a psych test before they would let him go on the mission."

"Like they could stop him," Vala snorted. "He'd just have to flex those muscles and everyone would crumble."

"Anyway, ignore Jack. He's just stressed right now. Teal'c is going to take him to the gym and beat up on a punching bag or three. He'll be fine tomorrow."

"That's good to know," Cam said unenthusiastically.

"Anyway," Daniel said as he finished his sandwich, "I'm on my way to talk to Healer Vash. I'm trying to find out as much as I can about the Bironians." He stood and began gathering up his trash. "I look forward to working with you."

"You too, Dr. Jackson," Vala told him seductively.

"Please call me Daniel." Vala giggled as Daniel walked away.

"He's cute," she said, watching him until he left the room.

"Don't start," Cam warned. Vala merely smirked at him as she jumped up and followed the archeologist from the room. "Don't worry about cleaning this up," Cam called after her, "I'll take care of it." Looking back at the trash ridden table he decided this was going to be a very long mission.

* * *

><p>The next morning a very somber team gathered together at the base of the stairs in the embarkation room. The base itself seemed much quieter, as if the slightest sound could upset the concentration of the men tasked to retrieve their lost comrade. "Dial the gate," Hammond ordered at eight o'clock on the dot.<p>

The Stargate whirled to life, unusually loud in the stillness of the base. When the wormhole opened the team did not immediately charge through. Instead they turned and looked toward the control room. "Godspeed SG-1." Jack gave a perfect salute to his superior, followed a split second later by Cameron. Only after Hammond returned it did Jack turn and lead his team through the Stargate.

"Welcome to the Sanctuary Sir," Bailey called out as soon as they emerged on the other side.

"What?" Jack asked sarcastically. "No welcoming committee?"

"I'm sorry Sir. Healer Koln extends his apologies for not meeting you in person, but with Healer Vash deciding to spend more time on Earth learning about us they have been a little short handed." Bailey began leading them toward the Sanctuary. "He did say we would try to meet you as soon as he could find some time. In the mean time we are free to move about the Sanctuary."

"Lovely place," Jack remarked giving it a courtesy glance. "Nice trees. Where's the ships?" Bailey smiled.

"Since they only have a limited number of operational ships, all of which are currently being used, I was able to make an arrangement with Healer Koln. We can use any ships we are able to repair while conducting negotiations with the other planets."

"That's my boy!" Cam shouted happily. Bailey blushed with embarrassment but was pleased with the outcome.

"Koln mentioned the possibility of keeping them, especially if negotiations work out and we maintain a diplomatic presence here, but that's something to be negotiated in an official treaty if it ever gets that far."

"One step at a time," Cam told him. "We're not quite to the point of having a permanent presence here."

"Of course Sir," Bailey told them as he led them around the outskirts of the Sanctuary. "But it's fun to dream while the geeks do their stuff and fix the ships."

"Speaking of the ships," Jack interjected impatiently. "How's that coming?"

"Well," Bailey smiled as they turned a corner and got their first glance at the shipyard, "the first one should be just about fixed now."

"Excellent," Jack said as the cargo ship fired up its engines.

"The journey will take approximately one hour," Teal'c said as he piloted the ship off the ground and into the atmosphere.

"Can't we go any faster?" Jack asked, even though they had already left the planet far behind and were currently passing several moons of the Sanctuary.

"Don't tell me you're already bored," Daniel complained. Jack sighed and Vala giggled while Cam rummaged through his pack and pulled out some playing cards. Several games of poker later, Vala was outvoted when she suggested strip poker, even the cards couldn't dampen the excitement felt by the three men. Cam sighed as he looked down at his hand and then looked at the other two men, both who were looking more toward the front windows then their own cards.

"Teal'c," he called out, giving in to the inevitable. "Are we there yet?"

"Shortly Colonel Mitchell," was his response. The game suddenly over, the team climbed up to see the planet they were approaching. Teal'c flew the cargo ship on the course told to them by the Monks and expertly set the ship down on the landing pad. A small group of men was waiting to welcome them.

"Welcome to Birona," their leader told them as soon as they exited their ship. "I am Notte, High Chancellor of Birona. I regret that I was unable to meet with your earlier team, but rest assured I have cleared my schedule for the next few days to fully welcome you and answer any questions you may have."

"Greatly appreciated," Jack replied.

"This is my most trusted advisor, Viceroy Loka," he motioned to the man standing on his right side. The Viceroy gave a small bow of acknowledgement. "He is responsible for running the day to day operations on Birona. Sometimes I wonder if he should be Chancellor so that I may live in peace for just one day." The three men laughed at the joke, with SG-1 looking on in amusement. The Chancellor then motioned to the man on his left. "This is the head of our Science Ward, Minister Joris DeLuan. It is he who will be determining whether you have anything that we would like to trade for."

"I guess we'll be seeing a lot of you then," Jack said as he introduced the rest of his team. Introductions were made and the group moved inside a building. Just as they passed the threshold a fourth man rushed toward the group.

"Chancellor, Chancellor," he kept repeating as he neared them. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but this message was just passed along to me." The Chancellor frowned as he took a piece of paper and quickly read the message.

"You'll have to forgive me, but it appears as though my clear schedule has suddenly become overcrowded." He looked up regrettably at his guests. "I am sorry, but my presence is needed elsewhere. I will rejoin you as soon as I can. In the mean time I'm sure Minister DeLuan will be able to answer any questions you have. I must bid you farewell." He bowed to the group then took off down the corridor, the Viceroy hot on his tail. Joris watched him leave before turning to the group.

"I am sorry about their leaving, but it will allow this visit to be friendlier and less formal if you would like."

"Formal is not something I'm all that good at Minister," Jack agreed. Joris gave a laugh before leading the men down a hallway toward some transports.

"The Chancellor prepared an elegant, gourmet meal for you, but if you would prefer something more homely I invite you all to dine with me at my manor. It is where your accommodations are as well."

"We would be honored Minister," Daniel said.

"Wonderful," beamed Joris. "Please call me Joris. Let me just send a message to have my staff prepare extra. I will give you a tour of our wonderful city and give my staff time to prepare. Hopefully both will finish at the same time." With that done he quickly ushered them inside the waiting transports and they took off through the city.

* * *

><p>"That was a wonderful meal Minister," Daniel complimented. The team was spread around a large table in a beautiful dining room. The manor was very spacious and well kept, though not as ostentatious as the team originally thought it would be. What this planet lacked in technology it made up for in art and beauty. Both public buildings and private homes vied to be more beautiful and visually pleasing then the ones before. It was somewhat of a relief to pull up to this modest manor.<p>

"Yes it is a nice change indeed." He poured himself another glass of water before continuing. "If I could be honest with you, this room has not been used for far too long." At their confused looks he explained. "My wife was the one who always insisted on eating in here or entertaining with grand galas. When she died so did this room."

"Is that why there is an empty place setting?" Vala asked. Joris chuckled.

"No, that is for my daughter. She works at the Science Ward. She is usually home long before now, but I suppose something held her up. Normally we enjoy a small dinner in the study or the lounge, but I thought she might enjoy this more traditional setting." Joris finished his water as chimes started sounding in the hallway beyond the door. "The hour grows late. Perhaps you will meet her tomorrow. You must be tired." He stood up and instantly several servants appeared. "My servants will show you to your rooms. While you are my guests you can have free reign of the manor, however I do ask if you wish to leave the manor and enter the city you have someone accompany you. The city can be extremely confusing to newcomers." The team nodded their understanding. "If there is anything else you require, you need simply ask."

"Thank you Minister," Daniel bowed as the team slowly gathered next to the doors. "You are an extremely gracious host. I am sure we will be fine."

"Sleep well," he told them as they left the dining room. He thought lovingly of his own bed as he made his way to his study. With so many things that needed attending too, he decided to get a few of them out of the way before retiring for the night. An hour later he heard the main door open. A few minutes later there was a soft knock on his study door.

"Father?"

"Come in," he told her. She opened the door just as he finished the document he was working on. "You are very late," he told her as she sank into the chair in front of his desk.

"I'm sorry father," she replied, "but there was an incident in the Ward. I meant to tell you I would be delayed, but the time just slipped away from me."

"An incident?" he asked, growing concerned. "Was anybody harmed?" She smiled.

"Nothing like that Father," she reassured him. His concern not only for her but for the people who worked at the Ward was one of the reasons she loved him. "An unidentified file of unknown origin and purpose appeared on the secondary mainframe. I needed to purge the file before the mainframes could be linked again."

"An unknown file?" he repeated. "Was it malicious?"

"It certainly was strange, unique. I have never seen anything like it before." She sighed, running her hands through her hair. "I don't know its intent, whether it was malicious or benign, which is why I needed to completely purge it before linking the mainframes."

"And I assume the purging was successful?"

"I wouldn't have returned if it wasn't." She tiredly smiled at him, which he returned whole-heartedly.

"Are you hungry? I can have something brought up from the kitchen."

"No thank you Father. Tenaan was there." Her eyes darkened briefly. "He made sure I ate then escorted me safely home." Joris's eyes also darkened at the name and his smile slipped ever so slightly.

"He is only concerned about your welfare," he assured her.

"He is too concerned about my welfare," she argued. "Much more than any Helper should be." She sighed loudly, sinking further into the soft cushion of the chair. "He still intends to court me, though I have refuted all his attempts."

"If your work is suffering I can have him reassigned." His smile was gone now, replaced by a penetrating stare as if he could read her soul. She forced herself to hold his gaze as she tried to reassure him.

"He is the best Helper we have, not to mention the only one that can understand my work. Really Father," she said, reluctantly rising from the chair, "I do need him by my side, and we are extremely close friends. I just wish he would stop pushing for more."

"I shall talk to him," he reassured her.

"Thank you Father." She gave him a big smile which was interrupted by a large yawn.

"If Tenaan was kind enough to escort you home, the least I can do is escort you to your bedchamber," he said, standing up. He took the few seconds his back was to her to replace the smile firmly on his face again.

"Father," she admonished, joining him by the door. "I am not a child anymore. I can find my own way to my bedchamber."

"My apologies," he replied as they left the study together. He could tell by the smile on her face she was teasing him. "I hope you will indulge in an old man's fantasy by allowing him to wish his daughter pleasant dreams?"

"Of course Father." They slowed as they approached the first of two doors down a hallway. "Pleasant dreams Father," she said as she entered her bedchamber.

"And to you." He stood there for a few moments after the door shut silently behind her before moving to his own room, whispering as he went. "Pleasant dreams Kianna."


	5. Chapter 5

Warnings and disclaimer in chapter 1.

Enjoy.

* * *

><p>Jack awoke early the next morning after a restless night. The knowledge that Sam was somewhere on this planet left him restless and unable to sleep. He wasn't the only one either. Daniel and Teal'c were equally restless. The team talked well into the night about locating Sam and getting her out. Jack wanted to forget the diplomacy part of this mission and focus on Sam, but then Cameron pointed out Sam was in one of the laboratories and the best way to get in was with the negotiations. They finally decided the best course of action was to continue for the time being but keep an eye out.<p>

Jack dressed quietly, intent on not disturbing the sleeping members of the team. He began exploring the manor, trying to burn off some of his nervous energy. He stopped when he neared the dining room and heard voices coming from it.

"Do we have any idea what it is?" Jack could make out the voice of their host Joris.

"No," his guest was saying. The voice sounded familiar but Jack couldn't place the owner. "Our scientists are still trying to understand the ones that came before it. All they know is it is the same language."

"It could be benign," Joris argued.

"Or it could be sabotage," a third voice rang out. "If I hadn't entered when I did and isolated the mainframe it could have been disastrous."

"And yet you allowed it to continue," Joris countered. "If it was so dangerous, why didn't you stop it as soon as you entered?"

"I saw the opportunity and I took it. With the mainframe isolated there was no better time to see what was happening."

"I also authorized this Joris," the second voice spoke again. "I could have stopped it any time after I arrived. I chose to let events happen."

"We are pushing too hard," he heard Joris argue.

"We are not pushing hard enough," the third voice countered. "There is so much more we can tap into but haven't."

"We were warned about pushing too hard," Joris reminded them. "There could be damage."

"Which we could fix," the second voice cut in again. "Perhaps now would be a good time to call…"

"No!" Joris shouted. "Please Chancellor." Suddenly Jack placed the voice as that of Chancellor Notte. Joris sounded panicked and suddenly his distrust of the Chancellor increased. "I'm sure that this will all pass. We simply need more time."

"Perhaps another visit to the Sanctuary?" the third, still unknown voice asked. Jack was surprised to hear the concern in the voice that was previously arrogant and controlling. "The last time we called them it set back our work by months."

"It's far too dangerous right now," the Chancellor replied, "especially with the strangers."

"Would it not be equally dangerous to call them in right now?" Joris argued. "They could have technology to detect their ships. They obviously know enough to repair many of the shuttles the entire Collation deemed irreparable."

"This is true," Chancellor Notte reluctantly agreed.

"Then perhaps the best option is time."

"I agree with Tenaan," Joris proclaimed. "It would be rash to do anything while the strangers remain. Let us take this time to examine what already has happened."

"Agreed," the Chancellor chimed in, "but she is never to be alone. And any more problems and I will be forced to call them. This is far too costly an investment for us to lose. I will protect it till my dying breath, even if that means setting back your science for years."

"Understood," the third voice, Tenaan Jack guessed, replied. "I shall never leave her side."

"Well then, onto our next order of business." The Chancellor took control of the meeting again. "What of the strangers?"

"As with the other worlds, it appears they are interested in a trade agreement for Naquadah." Jack silently backed away as they began discussing the possible trade agreement. He would leave that for Daniel, if it ever got that far. He made his way back to their room, not surprised to find everyone awake and almost ready to go. As they finished dressing he relayed what he heard.

"So there is something going on here," Cam said, halfway through tying his shoelace.

"So it would appear," Teal'c said from the corner of the room. He was the only one ready.

"And it looks like the Chancellor and our gracious host are right in the middle of it." Jack grabbed his pack and double checked to make sure everything was ready.

"Damn," Daniel said gathering up his journal. "My impression of Joris was someone we could trust." He thrust his journal in his pack. "Guess my instincts are a bit rusty."

"I too believed Joris to be trustworthy, Daniel Jackson." Daniel shrugged at Teal'c's reassurances.

"I have an idea," Vala piped up after getting her jacket on. "Why don't we just ask if anyone knows her? It would save us so much time then we could go back to repairing the cargo ships for a little profit. What did that Monk think her name was?"

"Kianna," Jack said softly. "But it's not a good idea to go broadcasting our search. If she's here, she is being held against her will. Captors keep pretty good tabs on their prisoners and don't really like it when outsiders start snooping around."

"We should start at the science center," Cam put forth. "That's where we saw her before. Plus we have a legitimate reason for being there for the treaty so no suspicions will be raised." Jack nodded his agreement. "Dr. Jackson, perhaps it would be best for you to do the talking while we scout out the place."

"Right," Daniel agreed while digging through his pack. "I have extras if you want one." He emerged clutching his ever present video camera. Jack just sighed as Vala leapt forward to grab whatever Daniel was handing out.

"That's not for you to keep," Cam warned her as he too was handed a camera. Vala made a pouty face as she slipped the camera into her pocket. Jack sighed again and explained it to her.

"Record everything you can; doors, walls, people, and equipment. The more information we have the better the extraction will go."

"So this is a reconnaissance mission?" Vala asked. Jack was about to nod his head when Cam stopped him.

"No," Cam told her quietly. "It's a treasure hunt." Vala's head shot up at the mention of treasure. "Major Carter is our treasure and we need a good thief to help steal her back."

"Well then, let's go boys. We've got a treasure to find." Without further ado, she grabbed her pack, linked arms with Daniel and Teal'c, and bolted down the hallway, dragging the two others with her. Cam just smiled at her retreating back and reached for his own pack before noticing that Colonel O'Neill was still in the room and staring at him. His smile fell off with the look Jack gave him. Jack waited for Cam to get his own pack situated before handing him Daniel's bag.

"Nice play Colonel," he told him as they he grabbed Teal'c's pack and headed for the doorway and tried to catch up with the overexcited treasure hunter. He felt his tension ease as he quickly caught up with the rest of the group.

A few minutes later the team made their way into the dining room. Joris was alone again, studying some papers in front of him. When he saw the team come in, he quickly stuffed them in a folder laying on the side of the table. "Good morning. I trust you all slept well?"

"Well enough, thank you." Daniel replied, always the diplomat.

"Excellent. I have had my staff prepare a selection of fruits and breads for your first meal." He indicated the piles of food laid out on the table. The team grabbed a plate and began dishing out their meal. "Fruit and bread is a traditional Bironian breakfast, but if you would prefer something different my staff can accommodate."

"This is wonderful. Thank you," Daniel said after grabbing a small muffin. "We would like to discuss the planned activities today."

"Yes," Joris was positively beaming with excitement. "Our miners have recently uncovered a new vein of naquadah. Early tests say it's possibly the purest vein to date. I thought we would start there to give you an idea of the quality of naquadah we have to trade."

"That is very thoughtful of you, but you don't need to prove you're goods to us." Joris's face fell slightly as Daniel was talking. "We are more interested in what we can do for you."

"I don't understand," Joris frowned.

"We have a wide range of advancements we can share with your people, but first we need to know what your needs are. Do you ever suffer from droughts or famines? How about disease? We can help in these areas. Also we need to know if you have the technological ability to support our advancements, or if we need a more permanent presence to support our technology."

"I am beginning to understand. It would be foolish of us to trade for a tel'tak if no one on the planet could fly it."

"Exactly," Daniel agreed, "But perhaps you don't even care for technology, but would prefer to trade for goods. These are all things we need to know before we can start helping you."

"You have given me much to think about, and much more to discuss with the Chancellor," Joris commented. "What did you have in mind today?"

"A tour of the Science Ward. That will give us an idea of what technology you would be able to support on your own and what you would need help with."

"The Science Ward it is. It will take all morning to see everything there is to see." Daniel nodded his understanding. "Perhaps after lunch we can head to the mine and you can examine the new vein. With all that you are willing to do for us I would be amiss to not show you, however briefly, what you would be getting in return."

* * *

><p>"Well, that was a bust." The team had spent the morning in the Science Ward but no one had seen any sign of Sam. Daniel had been his most inquisitive, spending several minutes asking questions to each person giving the rest of the team plenty of time to look around. The morning tour had ended up taking more time than Joris had thought, and he was arranging lunch to be served as they headed to the mine.<p>

"Something isn't right here Jack," Daniel said thoughtfully. He took notes while he was talking to the scientists and was staring at them.

"What?"

"These experiments." He shuffled through several pages on his notebook. "I'm no expert, but I don't think they should be doing them, let alone have success at them."

"What do you mean Daniel Jackson?" Teal'c asked. "Do you believe these people should not be allowed to progress?"

"No, not that. It's just technologically speaking, unless they have their technology well hidden, they shouldn't be able to do some of these experiments." He flipped to a page and held it open for the others to see. "For example this project. It looks like they are trying to develop some sort of advanced computing language, but I haven't seen any evidence of computer technology."

"Maybe it's work for another planet?" Cam thought. "Maybe this is the think tank for the entire Coalition?"

"Possibly," Daniel conceded, "but I got the impression the planets didn't like to share with each other. We should check with the other teams, find out what their planets are like." Jack nodded as Joris came back into the room.

"We are ready to depart," he announced as he led them outside to several horse drawn wagons.

"Wagons?" Jack asked. "What happened to the cars?"

"The transports work well inside the city walls," Joris explained, "but the mines are several miles away. Wagons are the most comfortable way to travel outside the city, but if you prefer I can arrange horses for you." Jack shook his head and Joris smiled. "Wonderful. Three to a wagon please. There is also food in the back of each wagon in case you get hungry. It is not as spectacular as the lunch I had in mind, but they will sustain you until dinner." The team nodded and headed for the wagons. Daniel joined Joris in the first wagon, asking his never ending questions. Vala joined him, leaning seductively over him as she reached for something. They heard Daniel sigh as he handed her a plate of food and continued his conversation. Jack, Cameron, and Teal'c quickly loaded themselves into the second wagon. They caught a brief glimpse of Vala sullenly munching on something before the wagons jerked to life.

"Jackson better watch out," Cam commented.

"Why?" Jack asked. Cam smirked.

"Vala has her sights set on him." Jack laughed.

"Daniel's a big boy. He can take care of himself."

"I hope so," Cam said. "She can be a handful."

"So can Daniel," Jack added. The two men laughed. "Let's see what grub we got." They spent the next few minutes looking through their meal, which consisted primarily of dried meat and fruits.

"Looks like trail food," Cam commented. He grabbed a strip of meat and took a cautious bite. "Pretty good." Jack and Teal'c cautiously took their own bites. As the sweet taste exploded on their tongues they began to eat ravenously. Ahead they could occasionally here Daniel's voice as he and Joris continued their conversation. They watched the city slowly fade into the background and the countryside pass them by.

The stopping of the wagon abruptly woke Jack. He cursed his lapse as he watched Teal'c and Cameron stand and stretch their kinks out. The sleepless night had taken more of a toll than he could remember and the swaying wagon had lulled him to sleep. Maybe he was getting to soft for this. Cameron was already joining the other group, but Teal'c stood at the end of their wagon waiting for him. "What?" he asked harshly, glaring at the Jaffa.

"Colonel Mitchell also decided to refresh himself during the journey," he stated calmly, waiting until his friend stood and jumped down from the wagon. Jack let his gaze soften; realizing Teal'c wasn't berating him for falling asleep.

"Daniel does not here about this," he said as he stretched his arms over his head.

"Indeed." Teal'c turned and Jack had no choice but to sprint after him as he joined the rest of the group near the first wagon. Joris was looking past the wagons to several horses in a makeshift paddock.

"Oh good. She's still here."

"Who?" Daniel asked.

"My daughter," Joris explained. "You were unable to meet her last night. I was worried we might miss her at the mine as the Science Ward took up so much of our morning. She should be gone by now."

"We look forward to meeting her," Daniel said diplomatically as they followed Joris into the mine. He led them through several twists and turns until the sounds of rock breaking could be heard. They rounded a corner and saw an amazing sight. Several hundred workers were swinging pickaxes against the rock, chipping at the stubborn ore one rock at a time. Other workers were gathering up the rocks and piling them into carts, while others still were pushing the full carts away. "It's all done by hand," Daniel said amazed.

"Yes," Joris admitted. "Very little of our modern technology can work outside of the city. It is one of the problems our scientists are attempting to overcome. We hope several improvements will be implemented by the time we are ready to mine the new vein. It is this way. Come." He led them past the active mining, through more tunnels, and into a large natural cavern. It looked like the same material as the rest of the tunnels. The only difference were these were crowded with people. "This is the central mining station. Every support the mine needs can be found here. Blacksmiths to repair tools, carpenters to shore up weak sections of tunnels, rudimentary processing for the ore, even meals for the workers."

"This is amazing. Is this a natural formation?" Daniel asked, looking around the large cavern.

"We believe so," Joris told them, "but none know for sure. In the old mine it was said the caverns were our God's gift to us, to thank us for the ore. It's possible the Goa'uld created them to expedite the mining of the naquadah, but the Goa'uld often demand tribute without caring how many people had to die to create it." They reached a desk and he pulled out a crude map of several hundred miles of tunnels. "We are here," he pointed to the largest cavern on the map, although there were other caverns throughout the tunnel system as well. "We have barely begun to explore this tunnel system." He pointed to the few colored tunnels on the map. Most were dark.

"This mine is new?" Daniel asked.

"As is the city built to support it." Joris added.

"Can we go to the old city and see it?" Daniel asked, his eyes wide with excitement.

"Daniel," Jack warned. "We are not here to look for real estate."

"Right," Daniel said despondently. Joris simply chuckled.

"I'm afraid there is not much to see. Shortly after we left the desert began to reclaimed it. Perhaps if we do become allies we will be able to travel there someday." He put the map back on the desk then turned as if looking for something. "The newly discovered vein is there." He pointed to another tunnel. Like the other one, this one had much activity going on around it, but unlike the first Jack could tell these people weren't miners. Carpenters were shoring up an obviously unstable tunnel, while scientists were running different tests on the rocks. One of them saw Joris and quickly walked over to him.

"Minister," he nodded politely.

"Tenaan," Joris greeted. "Where is my daughter?"

"Playing in the dirt with the others," he gestured toward the tunnel. Jack studied the young man intently. He was sure he had heard his voice before. "She heard you would be delayed and thought of some tests to run to pass the time."

"Of course she did," he mumbled warmly. He led them through the crowd toward the tunnel and a group of people collecting samples of the ore. As they neared she looked up and locked eyes on the team. The team froze. Joris, sensing they were no longer behind him, looked between them and his daughter confusedly. He was about to say something when she whispered a single name.

"Jack." It was so soft it was almost a whisper, but Jack heard it clear as day. The next second Jack found himself rushing towards her just as one of the machines started sparking fiercely. Her gaze darted between him, the machine, and the people still inside the tunnel, and he knew what she was going to do, but wouldn't be fast enough to stop her. Just as the spark started to ignite the dust floating around the tunnel, she grabbed a nearby pickaxe and swung at the nearest ceiling support with all her might. For a few seconds the tunnel was ablaze, but the force of the explosion combined with the loss of the support structure caused a massive rockslide that quickly blocked the fiery tunnel.

"Sam!" he cried out as the combined forces pushed him back and to the ground. It seemed like an eternity, but he knew no more than a few seconds could have passed. A low buzzing filled his head as he quickly got to his feet. He realized other people were there, helping everyone who was close enough to be knocked down by the blast, but he just shrugged off the helping hands. Other hands attempted to move him away from the rockslide. Those ones he fought until a voice finally made it through the buzzing.

"O'Neill." The Jaffa grabbed him and roughly pulled him away from the tunnel.

"Teal'c. She's here." He struggled to get loose of the hands holding him. "Dammit, let me go Teal'c."

"I cannot." He didn't stop until they rejoined the rest of the team. Jack didn't stop struggling.

"Jack," Daniel said, trying to get through him, "they've already started rescue operations. This is their area of expertise. We'll just get in the way."

"But I saw her," he protested feebly. He could now hear the rescue crews already starting operations.

"I know." Daniel grabbed his arms as Teal'c released him. He tried to return to the tunnel, but a quick tug stopped him. "Let them help her. They know their mines best." Jack finally acknowledged the logic behind that and stopped struggling, content to simply watch as the rescue operation commenced. That is until a small group of men came their way.

"We have orders from the Minister to escort you back to the manor." Jack was about to argue when Cameron put his hand stiffly on the Colonel's shoulders.

"Time and place Colonel," he warned seriously. Jack knew the veiled warning there. He would take command if Jack didn't pull it together.

"Right. Let's go back to the house and let them get this cleaned up." The men nodded and quickly led them back out through the tunnel system. "I need a word with Minister Joris when they are finished."

"Of course." The men motioned to the wagons. "I'll leave word with the Minister." Jack nodded his thanks and the team grudgingly climbed aboard the wagons.


	6. Chapter 6

Warnings and disclaimer in chapter 1.

Enjoy.

* * *

><p>It was several days before they saw Minister Joris. They waited impatiently at his manor for him to return, but all they ever saw were the men who escorted them back. They prowled restlessly and even attempted to leave the manor, but the men warned against it. One of the men called for backup and within minutes a security force arrived. The team relented and returned to the manor, restlessly pacing back and forth throughout the house. When Joris finally rejoined them they were almost crazy, combating their frustrations by looking through the extensive library in his study.<p>

"Where's Sam?" Jack asked as soon as he spotted the Minister. The other members of the team looked up sharply from where they were sitting. No one else heard Joris come in.

"How do you know that name?" Joris asked quietly, his eyes widening in shock. Jack snarled and leapt toward the minister. Daniel, who was closer to the door, quickly stepped in front of the enraged Colonel.

"How do you?" Daniel countered, pinning the Minister with his stare. The rest of the team had gathered around them. Joris locked eyes with all of them before returning his attention to Jack. Joris breathed deep, making a decision, and squared his shoulders. He held up his finger to his lips, signaling them to silence, and pulled a small electronic device from his pocket. He began scanning the room, finding several listening devices which he promptly deactivated before returning the device to his pocket. Daniel opened his mouth to talk, but Joris shook his head before he could. He went to the door, stepped into the hallway, and called all his servants forward. Within minutes everyone who worked in the manor was gathered together.

"I appreciate all your concern for my daughter," he began, ignoring the gasps he heard coming behind him. "Thankfully it appears Kianna will make a complete recovery. It will be a long process though." He paused for a second, gathering his thoughts. "Kianna's accident, and the several hours of waiting to know if she was even alive, have made me understand the importance of family. When Kianna returns we will need your support more than ever. For now though, I would like to show my appreciation by giving you a gift more precious than any on the planet; time. Take the remainder of the week and spend this time with your family. Never forget that in an instant everything can be taken away." The servants slowly dispersed, many of them coming to Joris with kind words or thoughts, both for him and for Kianna. When at last the hallway was clear, he returned to the study and shut the door.

"She's been here the whole time," Daniel gasped, floored by the discovery. In his shocked state he didn't notice Jack rush past him, followed closely by Teal'c. It wasn't until he heard Joris gasp for breath that he realized Jack had thrown the man into the wall and was choking him. "Jack," he said desperately. "Stop."

"He's the one who took her away," Jack said in a calm voice completely contradictory to the rage that fueled his actions. "He kidnapped her and tortured her and did whatever else he did to her. It's all his fault." Daniel looked to Joris, finding him shake his head no. Whether he was disagreeing with the Colonel's statement or just trying to break free of his grip Daniel couldn't be sure.

"Teal'c," Daniel begged, but far from wanting to help the captured man, Teal'c looked as if he was waiting for his turn to extract his own vengeance. Daniel glanced helplessly at the rest of the group. They had gathered around the scene, but showed no signs of stepping in to stop Jack before he went too far. "Jack, please stop. You know you don't want to do this."

"Give me one good reason why I don't want to do this," he snarled.

"I can help you," Joris said, struggling with every breath. Jack roared, throwing the man across the room. He careened into the desk, colliding with the books Daniel had been reading before everything crashed to the ground in a giant mess. Teal'c was there immediately, not restraining the man but making it clear he would not be able to escape. Joris took a few deep breathes before looking up at the team. "I can help you get her back."

"Why should we believe you?" Cam asked. The team gathered around the fallen man, not ready to help him but not quite wanting to hurt him either. He coughed, massaging his sore throat with his hands.

"I love Kianna, more than I ever thought I was capable." He stood and faced the team. "I did not bring Kianna here, my government did. They are who you are up against. She is their latest trophy, and they will do anything to protect their trophies. To go up against them you will need my help." It was several long, tense minutes before Jack finally nodded his approval.

"Thank you," Daniel said gratefully. The rest of the team mumbled their agreement, Jack and Teal'c almost reluctantly, and Daniel knew if Joris was lying he would pay for it with his life. He also knew he wouldn't do anything to stop them.

"Before we start, we need to make sure the mansion is secured. As you can see," he gestured to the devices he previously deactivated, "my government trusts no one when it comes to one of their trophies. Also I would not limit their intrusiveness to simply mechanical listening devices. When my staff returns, you must assume that they are planted here to be the eyes and ears of the Chancellor."

"What about cameras?" Jack asked, looking at the primitive bugs closely. Joris shook his head.

"Being Science Minister does have its advantages. They would not dare infringe upon my station in that way."

"They put in listening devices," Cam pointed out.

"I already was aware of those. They are standard when housing a trophy. Along with the ones in this room, there are several in the dining room and Kianna's bedchamber. Either they must be deactivated or our planning should be confined to this room only."

Jack grabbed the device Joris used to locate the bugs in the study. "We'll sweep the whole house to be safe."

"You should secure the house as well," Joris suggested. "If they believe Kianna has been compromised, I do not think my position will protect us." Jack nodded, motioning Teal'c and Cameron to follow him. Daniel and Vala stayed in the room with Joris, who quietly began picking up the scattered books and papers from his desk. Daniel bent down and helped him. Soon the room was back in order.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course," Joris replied.

"Why did your government do this?" Joris sighed.

"Has you're government never done things that initially seemed sound but as time passes the horrors make themselves known and you cannot figure out how to stop it?" Daniel thought for a few minutes.

"Unfortunately we have," he admitted. "Too many times for my liking."

"How were these programs stopped?" he asked.

"Others from my planet eventually stepped in and forced the policies to change. Regrettably it was too late for millions of people."

"Perhaps that is our problem," Joris commented. "Perhaps hundreds of victims isn't enough to garner the attention of the other systems. Perhaps they don't care until the number reaches millions."

"Or maybe they simply need one man to stand up for what is right to understand what is really happening here and help you stop it." Joris looked at Daniel and smiled weakly.

"Thank you Daniel. You have given an old man hope where before stood only despair." They looked up at the opening of the door. Jack, Teal'c, and Cameron came back into the room. Jack passed the bug detector around the room before being satisfied.

"The house is secure," he said, dropping the device on the desk. "You got into see Sam right?"

"Briefly, but yes," Joris told them.

"How is she?" Jack asked. The tension was palpable as everyone waited for his answer.

"The doctors were convinced her physical injuries would heal with time. It was her mental injuries the Chancellor was most concerned with." At their concerned faces he elaborated. "She sustained several broken ribs in the rockslide, as well as a broken arm and wrist. Her lungs are damaged due to the amount of smoke she breathed in, as well as several minor burns and cuts. As I said the doctors are confident she will make a complete recovery."

"So what is going on here?" Cam asked pointing to the piles of devices they had removed from every room in the house.

"What you have stumbled onto is a centuries old agreement between the government of Birona and a group of people known as the Inturi."

"Inturi?" Vala asked sharply, her head snapping up and suddenly giving him her entire attention.

"You know them?" Daniel asked.

"I know of them though I've never had the displeasure of meeting them in person," she told them. "They of course do the required criminal behavior; smuggling, thieving, piracy; but they are known for being able to acquire hard to get cargo. Specialty cargo. Human cargo."

"Slave traders," Teal'c spoke up for the first time.

"That's what the rumors say, though nobody can confirm the speculation. Of course, nobody has ever returned from their attempts to prove the Inturi slave trade."

"Sounds pleasant," Daniel murmured before turning back to Joris. "What do you mean you have an agreement with these people?"

"Many centuries ago," he explained, "a small craft crashed on Birona. Though the occupants were relatively unharmed, their craft was nearly destroyed. The occupants were the Inturi. My people wanted to help them rebuild their ship, but were lacking the technological knowledge to help. These two Inturi formed the beginning agreement; they would provide needed technological knowledge to fix their ship, while Birona would provide the raw material needed. Birona would gain all their knowledge while the Inturi would be able to leave this system. Each party gained something. But during the long years it took them to repair their ship the Inturi had thoughts about making their new partnership long term."

"Why not simply take them to the Sanctuary and allow them to leave through the Stargate?" Teal'c asked.

"The political stability of the system was far from what it is today," Joris replied. "None of the systems trusted each other, and the fear of outsiders was even worse. The Monks kept hold of the Stargate through force, not harmony as it is today. If we turned over the Inturi to the Monks they would have been killed. It was an agreement designed to help the Inturi. It has significantly darkened throughout time."

"Why didn't the others step in and put a stop to this? Or the Monks?" Daniel asked, his earlier conversation with the older man making more and more sense.

"The other systems to this day do not know about our agreement, and certain steps were taken to ensure the Monks never realized they were being deceived. This is the greatest kept secret on the planet, and the Chancellor isn't going to let it go without a fight."

"So we go in, grab Carter, and get the hell out of Dodge," Jack said, getting the conversation back on track.

"It will not be that easy Colonel. The government does not easily let their trophies go, and the High Chancellor himself is personally interested in the continued performance of Kianna. Even as her father, I was allowed no more than a ten minute visit, with guards stationed inside the room. The entire ward is blocked off; guards stationed at every entrance and a command post in the hospital lobby. It would be suicide to try and get her there."

"We aren't leaving without her," Jack stated.

"We can't take her without getting into a fire fight," Cam reasoned. "We don't have enough manpower or weapons to take on their entire army."

"We can return to the SGC and gather reinforcements," Teal'c suggested. "Perhaps we will be able to recall your team to our location Colonel Mitchell."

"They could alert the Monks," Daniel added, "maybe they'll help us." The team continued to strategize, apparently forgetting the other two people in the room

"Stop!" cried Joris. They all stopped and turned toward him. "Any forced attempt you make on the hospital will end badly for everyone." He paused for a few minutes, making sure he had their entire attention. "It is a hospital and there are sick and injured people there who have no idea what our government did. I will not allow you to hurt anyone who is innocent."

"Do you have a better idea?" Cam asked. Joris nodded.

"As her father, Kianna will be released into my care as soon as her physical injuries have sufficiently healed. Simply wait and she will be delivered to you."

"Fine," Jack agreed after a few minutes. "But in the mean time let's do a little recon at the hospital."

"That can be arranged," Joris agreed.

* * *

><p>The next morning found the group hauling out the video cameras again as Joris arranged transport to the hospital. "Remember focus on security checkpoints, entrance and exit points, and accessibility." The team nodded, knowing if they had to storm the hospital they didn't want to cause any undue damage or injuries. They also knew that this might be the only time they were able to roam around the building uninhibited.<p>

"The transport has arrived," Joris told them shortly. They nodded, checked their gear once more, and piled into the carriage. Soon they were following Joris to the reception desk of the hospital.

"Minister," a well groomed man who did not look like he belonged there came from behind the desk as he saw the group approach. "I received your message last night but was not aware that an examination of our medical services was scheduled."

"That's because it was not originally scheduled," Joris told him, shaking his proffered hand, "however upon hearing my daughter was injured and is currently being treated here, our visitors offered to change their plans to allow me to be close to my daughter." The man gazed at the group intently. "Allow me to introduce Nievan Ultrive, Administrator of the hospital." He smiled as he shook hands with everyone.

"How thoughtful," he said, though they could hear the underlying tension in his voice. He turned back to Joris. "You do realize you and your daughter's positions would, of course, limit the visitors allowed to see her."

"Administrator," Daniel interrupted, "As tragic as the circumstances that brought us here, I believe this could be mutually beneficial for both our peoples. We would be thrilled to see what advancements you have made and perhaps offer you insights our own scientists have discovered. We understand that it would be improper for us to demand to see an honored member of your society, but we also do not wish to begrudge the Minister this precious time with his daughter. Perhaps a tour of your facilities would both provide an insight for us to your medical needs as well as allowing the Minister a few hours with his daughter before we return to our previous schedule." Administrator Ultrive looked at the group, thinking carefully, before smiling.

"As you say, perhaps we can turn this tragedy to our benefit." He motioned to another attendant at the reception desk, who was delighted at the opportunity to give a tour of the hospital. Joris and Administrator Ultrive exited left while the group followed their chatty tour guide right, the video cameras out and recording everything they could.

A few hours later, and still as happy as ever, their tour guide led them back to the main lobby where Joris was waiting for them. He thanked the Administrator and his staff for accommodating them so readily and turned and left the building. A warning look was enough to keep the team quiet until they reached the safety on his manor, but once inside everyone asked their questions at once. Rather than talk over them, he held up his hand for silence, which was quickly achieved.

"Kianna is doing well," he started, then stopped and shook his head. "I'm sorry. Samantha. Samantha is doing well. The imminent physical danger has passed, leaving only the slowly healing annoyance of broken bones and torn tendons. Should she continue to recover without incident, she will be released to my care tomorrow evening." The others laughed in relief, only Jack noticing how Joris's face didn't burst out in a smile.

"What else," Jack asked.

"Her mental state is faltering again," he said grimly. "There is talk of removing her to the Inturi."

"The Inturi are here?" Vala hissed.

"Again?" Jack asked dangerously. Joris hung his head.

"Never before in all our dealings with the Inturi have any of our trophies challenged their treatment. This was one of the factors that led us to believe the Inturi were keeping their original agreement; all who had their treatment would volunteer to help Birona. Before Kianna we never even doubted that was the case, although it seems a bit foolhardy now.

"When Kianna first came to us she was known as Nouhe. She took her place in society, as all other trophies did, and performed amazing accomplishments while she was there. Then Volaurd, her caretaker, noticed strange things happening. She would shout out words in the middle of the night that he had never heard. She would fall into trances she would not remember, and recite phrases that none knew. Ashamedly I intended to abandon Nouhe to her own insanity, for what other reason was there for her condition, but Chancellor Notte overruled my decision. He had become fascinated with Nouhe's advances and obsessed with her potential. It was the first time we had ever returned someone to the Inturi."

"What did they do?" Vala whispered.

"I don't know," he grudgingly admitted. "A few weeks later the Chancellor approached me. 'The Inturi,' he said, 'believe the lack of emotionally bonded family ties created a rift in her mind.' He went on to explain that on her homeworld family ties were the most important thing and the Inturi thought they could overcome this problem if they added a family tie to their conditioning. He proposed that in the new conditioning she be imprinted as my daughter. Intellectually their explanation made sense to me, as did their solution. I agreed." He stopped for a few minutes, steadying himself before he continued.

"The Inturi collected me and took me to their laboratory, though were it is I have no idea. They hooked me up to a machine and told me my thoughts and memories would be transferred to Kianna, as her new name would be. They had me think of the happiest memories I could recollect. Most were of my wife though some from my early childhood and adolescence still resounded in me. I watched in awe as their computers collected a small part of my soul. Eventually the computer finished whatever it was doing and a tiny shot of electricity would shoot from it. It would follow a wire through a wall to the next room. As I produced more and more memories the spark would appear sooner and sooner, until it was nearly a constant stream. A few seconds later the screams started.

"Startled, I jerked up in the chair, my thoughts stopping abruptly. The Inturi said what I had given would suffice and quickly removed me from the device and escorted me out of the room and back to the ship which would take me home. The screams followed me until the door on the ship was closed and we were on our way back. In the days that followed I tried my best to forget the screams I heard. I had much to do to prepare for Kianna's arrival. The staff at my manor would need to be replaced to avoid attracting unnecessary attention, and a cover story would need to be concocted for the Science Ward. The new staff was told how my daughter contracted an illness while working in the mines and was very sick.

"When she returned home none questioned her presence, in fact they welcomed her like a long lost daughter. Only when I heard her laugh did I realize she was the one screaming. I paled and sank into the nearest chair, and she comforted me. She comforted the person who caused her so much pain." Again he paused, wiping his eyes briefly with his hand before starting again. "Eventually we fell into a rhythm. Never having children I thought I could treat her as I did my wife, which I am ashamed to say was with indifference. I was wrong. I watched as she settled into her new position with pride. I contented myself with the knowledge that, although I had hurt her in the past, it was to provide a better future. I studied her intently for the signs Volaurd had warned about, but as more time passed I thought her troubles had faded."

"But they started coming back, didn't they?" Daniel asked quietly, not even trying to hide the tears in his eyes.

"I tried to hide the truth from the Chancellor. I tried sending her to the Sanctuary, hoping they could help her. It worked at first, but her condition continued to deteriorate. The Monks helped as much as they could, but eventually the Chancellor learned the truth about her condition. I tried to protect her. But there is talk of returning her to the Inturi once again. I couldn't live with myself if that happened."

"We'll stop them," Jack told him, the wild gleam back in his eye. "We'll save her if we have to destroy the entire Inturi."

"I thought you'd say something like that," Joris told them, a smile slowly working its way back to his face. "I also thought you would like to start a plan to retrieve Kianna, just in case they do not release her in a timely matter."

"We've already started," Jack told him, motioning towards the cameras that they were already reviewing.

"Perhaps I can be of assistance. The construction plans for all buildings are on file at my office in the Science Ward."

"I'll go," Daniel immediately volunteered, surprised when Jack did the same a few seconds later.

"Excellent. There is one more thing I would like to show you, which is at my office as well. We should return within the hour."

"Lead on," Jack said as he shared a look with Teal'c. Teal'c nodded quickly and continued working on an extraction plan as Jack and Daniel followed Joris out of the room. They were quiet during the short ride to the Science Ward. He checked his office for bugs, disabling any that he found before motioning that it was safe to talk.

"The plans will be over there," he directed Daniel to a large filing cabinet while he began digging in his desk for something.

"What did you want to show us?" Jack asked as Daniel pulled out several files from the cabinet.

"What Kianna has been working on." He finally found the folder he was looking for and laid it open on the desk. Daniel and Jack began studying it intently. "Our greatest scientists have tried to decipher its meaning. So far none have been successful. It is unlike anything we have ever seen."

"It looks like computer code," Daniel said, pulling a sheet of ones and zeros toward him, "but I don't know enough about computer language to help you." He looked to Jack who was intently studying the pages. "Does it mean anything to you?"

"These are Stargate glyphs," he them, flipping through the pages quickly. "At least some of the lines are." He shrugged at Daniel's incredulous stare. "I was bored one day when she was rewriting the dialing program. I wondered how long it would take her to get annoyed with me, so I interrupted her whenever she was writing the code for any of the gate glyphs. She put up with it for a lot longer than I thought she would."

"Wait. Was that the day you guys came down to my office after lunch and Sam told me you really wanted to know the history and meaning behind the constellations?" Jack nodded. "I always wondered why she did that. You probably don't even remember what I said, do you?"

"Of course I remember. It started with 'I don't really think he cares,' and ended with 'Are you even listening?' The middle gets a bit murky though." Joris smiled at their conversation before Jack turned serious again. "But why would she write anything with the gate glyphs on it? You don't even have a gate unless you go to the Sanctuary, which has a perfectly working DHD." Jack stared as Joris's expression turned from amused to guilty. "You don't have a gate do you?"

"No," Joris started hesitantly, "however the purpose behind Kianna's acquisition was to build our own Stargate. We asked the Inturi to provide us with a Stargate expert. It has taken several decades and the most Naquadah we have ever needed to acquire her. This is one of the reasons the Chancellor is not going to let her go easily."

"How close to completing this Stargate are you?" Jack asked. Joris shook his head.

"It was never beyond the theoretical stage when last I worked on it. However that was nearly twenty years ago and before Kianna came to work on it. I don't know how far it has progressed since then."

"Is it here in the Science Ward?" Daniel asked, looking around for a big metal ring they somehow missed. Joris shook his head.

"The Stargate project predates the creation of this complex. It is located at one of the few remaining facilities in the old city."

"You said the old city was reclaimed," Daniel pointed out as the grabbed the folders and headed back to the transport.

"The mine is as is most of the city. However the facilities where the scientists worked were located a fair distance from the city to further help keep the scientists origins a secret. Over time many of the smaller projects relocated to the Science Ward, but the Stargate project was not one of them." They arrived back at the manor and quickly joined the team. Jack laid the blueprints on the desk and they had just started going over them when there was a knock at the door. Joris quietly excused himself and returned a few minutes ashen faced.

"What's wrong?" Jack asked immediately.

"The Chancellor has decided to return Kianna to the Inturi," he said quietly. "They will retrieve her tomorrow morning and try the procedure for a third time."

"The hell they will," Cam declared. "If they're coming for her tomorrow morning we have to get her out tonight."

"How does security look like?" Jack asked, having been out when Teal'c and Cameron went over all the footage they had.

"Nothing we can't handle until we get to the ward where Major Carter is being held," Cam reported.

"It appears the Inturi have significantly improved security in these sections," Teal'c pointed out several rooms on the top floor of the hospital.

"There's no mention of any special security features present in the plans," Daniel pointed out.

"There wouldn't be a record of it if the Inturi designed and installed it," Joris told them. "And only the Inturi would know exactly what the security features are."

"What if we just blasted our way in?" Jack thought out loud.

"I think stealth is our best option," Cam chimed in.

"I agree," Daniel said. "Any show of force would have us in the Chancellor's crosshairs immediately."

"As well as the Inturi," Teal'c pointed out. "Having never encountered them before we do not know the limit of their technology."

"But stealth only gets us as far as the front door," Jack said, "unless you can hack into their computer database and produce us an access card before morning."

"Boys, boys, boys," interrupted Vala as she casually leaned across the desk to look at the blueprints. "You're forgetting the first rule of treasure hunting. Never stress yourself with the front door when the back door is much simpler." She pointed to a single door at the end of the ward. "No matter how secure you're facility is, there is always a cleaner able to enter."

"You're forgetting the key card," Cam pointed out.

"Oh you mean this?" She pulled an item from inside her bra and laid it on the table in the middle of the plans.

"You little thief," Daniel said astonishingly, reaching for the key card.

"Oh Daniel. You know me so well already," she smiled seductively at him before pulling out another item from her shirt and laying it on the table. "I also have fingerprints and retina scans as well as the code for the card. All we need to do is use the back door, grab the treasure, and leave just like we're taking out the dirty laundry."

"We'll need to distract the night custodians," Jack said.

"Consider it done," Vala answered mischievously.

"And a transport," Jack continued.

"It is no problem," Joris told them.

"So now the only question is when does the night shift start?" Daniel said.

"In about thirty minutes," Vala told them.


	7. Chapter 7

Warnings and disclaimer in chapter 1.

Enjoy.

* * *

><p>The ride over to the hospital was silent, everyone going over their roles in this wild plan. Vala was going to distract the custodial staff, something that she was looking forward to. Cameron was going to wait in the transport in the rear of the hospital, both to provide back up for Vala if needed as well as to keep the transport ready to move as soon as they had Sam. Joris, with Jack as support, would use a his position and a false report that Kianna's condition had worsened to demand to see his daughter. After all the stonewalling they had experienced already Jack wasn't sure they would be allowed to see her but it also served a secondary purpose to keep their attention on them while Daniel and Teal'c used the stolen key card and retrieve their teammate. If all went well they would reconvene at the manor in an hour and hightail it to the waiting cargo ship.<p>

When the sympathetic night shift were more than helpful and allowed Joris to check on his daughter Jack knew it was too good to be true. They exited the elevator and saw her slowly walking the hall next to her room. "Sam!" Jack cried out and sprinted down the hallway, Joris behind him. She slowly turned and stared at them in shock, but before they could reach her several sets of heavy metal bars slammed down from the ceiling.

"Father?" she asked immediately recognizing Joris, but then here eyes slid to Jack. He could read the confusion and uncertainty in them. "Jack?" She reached her hand through the bars toward them, just as Jack did, their fingertips mere inches apart.

"Sam!" he cried, grabbing his radio with his other hand. "Teal'c!"

"We are impeded," the Jaffa told them. "We are attempting to circumvent the trap."

"What's happening?" Sam asked, before her eyes rolled up and she collapsed. Tenaan stood behind her, pulling a crude hypodermic needle from her neck.

"What is the meaning of this Tenaan?" Joris demanded.

"They tried giving her a father to keep the sickness away," he told them psychotically. "Perhaps what she needs is a husband."

"She doesn't love you," Joris told him while Jack began pulling at the bars, trying anything he could think of to get through.

"Soon she will love me as much as I love her," he said as he grabbed her and proceeded to take her up to the roof. They glimpsed a spacecraft landing until the door shut closed with a thud.

"Tel'tak now!" Jack shouted through the radio as he grabbed Joris and pulled him to the stairs. Within minutes the team was powering up the cargo ship. "We need to get into orbit now! If they go to hyperspace we won't have any way to track them from down here."

"They're not going into orbit," Cam said from his position at the second chair. Teal'c had finally gotten the engines started and they were quickly gaining speed. "They are staying planetside," he told them, "heading northeast." Joris gave a small gasp.

"They are too fast O'Neill," Teal'c said as he gave the engines as much power as he could. "I will not be able to retain this speed indefinitely."

"They're almost out of sensor range," Cam reported. "In another minute we won't be able to follow them."

"We can reroute power from all the systems to the engines," Vala told them, already opening the access panel, "but the ship would be completely vulnerable and they're not exactly in the best of shape to begin with."

"There is no need to endanger your ship," Joris told them calmly. "I know where they are going."

"I thought you didn't know where they're base is?" Jack asked.

"I don't," he admitted, "but I do know what is Northeast. The old city. Along with the Stargate project there is only one other main project remaining there. I was told it was experimental power production and the reason it could not be moved was the infrastructure required would take years to recreate in the new establishment. It was a logical explanation that I never questioned."

"And now you believe that to be the location of the Inturi base?" Joris nodded.

"It is the only logical conclusion."

"Alright," Jack decided. "We'll head to old city." Joris quietly told Teal'c the directions, settling down in the second seat Cam just vacated.

"And when we get there?" Cam asked, following Jack and Daniel to the rear of the ship.

"We get Sam back," Daniel answered as Jack opened one of the several crates that were loaded into the cargo ship. He pulled out tactical vests and weapons and started handing them to Daniel. "And nothing is going to get in our way."

"Are you with us Colonel?" Jack asked, holding a vest out to Cameron.

"Hell yeah Sir," he said taking it from him. Vala didn't wait for a vest. Instead she skirted around Jack and grabbed one from the crate herself.

"Finally we get to the hunting part of the treasure hunt." She looked around at the various looks she was getting. "What? A girl's got to have some fun." She quickly donned her gear and traded spots with Teal'c so he could do the same. Soon the tel'tak was landing quietly a few blocks away from the Inturi base.

"Stay here Minister," Jack ordered.

"No," Joris countered. "I know you don't like it, and I know it's not real, but Kianna is my daughter and I will not stand idly by while her life is in danger. Besides, I may know where she is being kept once we make it inside the base." He locked gazes with Jack.

"Okay," he relented, "but you will do everything I say and you will stay in the back or I will shoot you. Are we clear?"

"Crystal," he answered. Jack nodded and they quietly filed out of the tel'tak. Soon they could see the massive buildings of the Inturi base lit up before them.

"I do not see any visible patrols," Teal'c said, intently studying the building.

"I doubt they have no security," Vala told them, "not with what I've heard about them."

"I've never heard of any suspicious activity in that area," Joris told them. "They never would have been able to remain undetected in the city if they had used superior technology.

"Maybe it's hidden, like at the hospital," Daniel said.

"So we go in quietly," Jack decided. They all agreed and quietly followed Teal'c as he led them from building to building; slowly making their way closer to their target.

"Which building?" Daniel asked.

"What I've been told," Vala relayed, "is that they have separate living, working, and business quarters."

"That one," Teal'c said pointing to the building on their right. "It is the only building massive enough to conceal a shuttle during non operational periods."

"I think you're right Teal'c," Cam said, also studying the building in front of them. "We should swing around and come to the building from the opposite side so nobody in the other two building will be able to see our approach."

"Agreed," Teal'c said as they leapfrogged from building to building again.

"If I remember correctly," Joris began as they neared the side of the building, "there is a service entrance on this building. There," he said, pointing to the small alcove. They cautiously made their way through a large courtyard and soon were in the alcove facing a small door with a simple security scanner.

"Allow me," Vala said digging through her bag and pulling out another device which she held in front of the scanner. Within seconds the door opened and the team stood inside.

"Let's go," Jack said as he slowly led his team down the hallway.

It was several minutes of walking down the same hallways before Joris finally found something familiar. "This way," he said, taking them down several hallways until they came to a door. "This is where I was." Jack nodded and slid the door open a crack. Inside he saw Tenaan laying in the chair blissfully deciding which of his memories he wanted Sam to have and oblivious to the rest of the world. He squashed his sudden desire to kill the man and instead slowly closed the door.

"Tenaan's in there," he said. "Nobody else though."

"The electrical impulses traveled along the wire leading to the opposite room."

"Then that is the most likely place we will find Major Carter," Teal'c said. He took the lead and led them through other hallways in the labyrinth like building until they finally found the opposite doorway. Teal'c, Jack, and Cameron gathered around the door. On the three count they burst in, quickly zatting the lone man standing next to a bank of computers. Daniel and Vala quickly joined them. Teal'c secured the room while Cameron took care of the Inturi. Jack and Daniel converged on the lone figure strapped securely in the chair.

"What are they doing to her?" Jack asked Joris helplessly, wanting to help but not knowing how. Her eyes and mouth were open, screaming silently for no one to hear.

"They are sifting through her memories," Joris said from his position in the doorway. "They are deciding which of her own memories would serve the scenario they are planning to imprint upon her, which memories can be altered to fit the situation, and which must be discarded completely. They will then add the memories Tenaan chooses to give her, as well as some they will fabricate."

"Sam?" Daniel asked gingerly, slowly reaching out a hand to the strapped figure half afraid she would vanish before he touched her. But she didn't disappear. Her hand was solid and warm as he grabbed it. He choked back his sob as he started undoing the restraint around her wrist.

"I wouldn't do that," the man said suddenly, recovering from the zat blast in a remarkably short amount of time. Teal'c turned, priming his staff weapon as he did, but calmed again when he saw Cam had his weapon trained on the man. The man simply shifted into a better position and remained where he was on the floor. "Shifting through memories isn't an exact science. Random neurons can trigger muscle responses."

"She's seizing?" Daniel asked just as he felt her arm jerk uncontrollably beneath his hand. He quickly held her arm down as best he could until the seizure passed. "Turn it off," he said in a deadly voice.

"I can't," he said. "It must complete the process before we can turn it off. To do so now would be to strip the subject of all their memories."

"He's lying," Joris said, stepping fully into the room. The man's eyes hardened in recognition.

"You and your people will pay dearly for this betrayal," he shouted. Joris ignored his ramblings, took one look at his daughter strapped to the chair, and headed for the panel the man was standing in front of.

"The process was stopped and started several times while I was here. Trust me Colonel." Jack stared at Joris for several minutes before deciding.

"Do it." Joris nodded and flipped several switches. "You seem to know an awful lot about this process Minister," Jack said suspiciously as they watched as Sam's body quieted down, her breathing eased and her eyes closed. Daniel quickly checked her pulse.

"It's steady," he said as he and Jack began to undo her bindings.

"They made me an accomplice," Joris said sadly, his eyes never leaving Sam, "unwilling but still an accomplice. When I realized exactly what I had done to Kianna, I devoted my life to repairing whatever damage I could." He turned from Sam and faced Jack. "I understand you're desire for vengeance. Promise me you will keep Kianna safe and I will pay whatever price you need."

"That won't be necessary," Jack replied after a few tense minutes. "Sam wouldn't want that." He looked back as Daniel finished freeing her legs. "What about the electrodes?" he asked nodding to the wires surrounding her head.

"You lack the necessary skill or technology to remove them," the man said indignantly. Jack looked to Joris for conformation.

"He is correct," Joris said gloomily. "He is merely a technician. A surgeon was needed to attach and remove those devices." Jack looked back and forth between the technician and Sam for several minutes. The electrodes gathered together a few feet behind the chair, connecting Sam to their computers. Every few seconds they could see small sparks travel to and from the computer banks as they rifled through her memories the way Jack would skim a mission briefing.

"Here's a thought," Jack said, moving behind Sam to the single wire. He gingerly touched the wire to make sure all the energy was gone then grabbed his sidearm. A few shots later and the wire severed in two. "Time to go," he said calmly as Teal'c carefully lifted the prone form of their teammate into his arms.

"What do we do with him?" Cam asked casually, indicating the man still sitting on the floor.

"Here's a thought," Vala said, bringing her weapon up before bashing him in the head with it. He slumped carelessly to the ground. "The zat didn't really work on him, unless you really did want to kill him."

"You can't argue with the lady's logic," Cam said as he quickly bound and gagged the downed man. They quickly left the lab, backtracking they're way to their entrance point when the sudden sounds of voices could be heard coming toward them. They quickly backtracked again, passing the door to the lab and desperately searching for a way out of the building.

"O'Neill," Teal'c said quietly after a few minutes of searching. He turned to see the figure in Teal'c's arms twitching slightly. "I believe Major Carter is regaining consciousness."

"There's a door up there," Cam said, knowing the hallway was not the best place for Sam to regain consciousness. Jack nodded and the team headed for the door. Cam and Vala secured the room while the team gathered around their missing member. Joris hovered awkwardly in the background.

"Sam?" Daniel asked when her eyes fluttered open briefly. He grabbed her hand in encouragement. A few seconds later her eyes fluttered again.

"Carter," Jack added his own encouragements and soon they were rewarded by the crystal blue of Sam's eyes as she was finally able to keep them open. Her eyes skimmed the room before landing on her teammates. She looked them over briefly before stopping on Jack.

"Jack," she said groggily, a smile forming on her face. It quickly turned to a frown, her eyes changing from joy to confusion to fear within a few seconds. "No," she murmured, weakly jerking her hand out of Daniel's grasp. She noticed Joris waiting in the background and clumsily forced her uncoordinated body towards him. "Father," she cried as she fell into his open arms. He whispered reassurances to her as she clung to him, but they could tell the second her mind switched gears again. Her back stiffened and she pulled away from him. "No. That's not right."

"Samantha," Joris called out, allowing her out if his arms but not relinquishing his grip on her. She didn't acknowledge him so he tried again. "Kianna." She responded to that name, looking him in the eye. "I know things are confusing for you right now. But one thing will never change. I care about you greatly. And I would never hurt you." She nodded her head. "Now I must ask one more thing of you. I would ask you one last time to trust me as I trust these men. Will you trust me?"

She looked around at the three men then back at her father several times. They could see doubt and uncertainty mixed with trust and love as her memories fired randomly. Finally she locked gazes with Joris. "Yes Father. I do trust you." He pulled her back into the embrace, which she allowed though not as comfortably as before.

"Sorry to interrupt," Cam said as he rejoined the group, "but there's something here you need to see." Jack looked up, shared a look with the other men, and then he and Daniel followed Cam to where Vala was waiting, flipping through the files on the computer she had managed to find.

"This looks like their entire financial record," Daniel said, stopping Vala when he came across Sam's file. "She's had the procedure done five times," he told them as he read her file. "Each time there have been complications, and wow," he exclaimed.

"What?" Jack asked looking over at the screen, not that he could make any sense of it.

"It tells what they paid for her," Daniel said shocked.

"How much?" Jack asked curiously but before Daniel could answer Cam came up.

"As interesting as that is, that wasn't what you need to see." He pointed to the other side of the room and they gasped as they saw what Cam was pointing out. Several dozen stasis pods filled the room.

"Oh my God," Daniel exclaimed from his place by the computer. He looked between the rows of pods to the computer and back again. "They're recreating the Goa'uld's experiments. They're trying to genetically engineer super humans."

"Which they then plan on selling to the highest bidder," Vala continued unable to keep the disgust out of her voice.

"They're close too," Daniel continued. "It says they actually managed to create some mutated abilities, but there are physical deformities that come with it. They are currently working to remove the deformities while keeping the ability." He looked up from the screen. "If certain Goa'uld get wind of this," he didn't need to finish the sentence.

"This facility must be destroyed," Teal'c stated from his position by the door. Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Have you ever heard of a facility like this in connection with the Inturi?" Cam asked Vala. She shook her head.

"Its common knowledge you can get anyone you want from them," she explained, "which made several people suspect they were experimenting with mind control or some sort of mental programming, but nothing like this was ever imagined."

"Daniel, Vala, see if you can download those files to our laptop," Jack ordered. "If there are other facilities out there those files will hopefully mention them." They nodded and got to work as Jack turned toward Cam. "Do we have enough C-4 to blow this place to Hell?"

"Maybe this lab," Cam answered, "but who knows how many other labs there are. Not to mention the other buildings."

"Colonel," Joris said softly. Jack immediately turned, fearing the worst. He didn't calm down until he saw Sam sitting quietly next to Joris, gazing around the room but never focusing on anything.

"Joris?" Jack came back to crouch next to them, happy when Sam looked directly at him and answered.

"Nothing we have here on Birona is capable of generating enough power to maintain this lab Jonah. It must be some new technology Ra has discovered. It must be reported to the Council immediately."

"Carter? Sam?" Jack tried to get through to her, but she had returned to staring at the walls. He tried again. "Kianna?" She remained silent, lost once more in the memories that were fighting for dominance. Jack sighed.

"It appears that all her memories are randomly being accessed at this moment," Joris told him. "I haven't been able to keep her focused on a single thing for more than a few minutes." He paused for a minute as she mumbled something under her breath. "She was right about one thing though Colonel," Joris said quietly next to her. "There is nothing on Birona capable of creating the power required for what we are seeing here. If we were somehow able to sabotage it, perhaps the resulting explosion could destroy the entire complex."

"And half the city," Jack said.

"Maybe this will be the act that finally catches the attention of our neighbors and ends this abomination," he said, pointedly looking at Daniel.

"Do it Jack," Daniel said cryptically from his position by the computer. He had turned when Joris had called Jack over and had listened to their conversation. "It's time this secret is exposed." Daniel locked eyes with Jack for a few minutes before turning back to the computer.

"Besides, the city is already destroyed," Joris said calmly. "It is simply waiting for nature to reclaim it." Jack looked between Joris and Daniel for a few minutes before nodding. Daniel and Vala joined them, Daniel nodding simply and patting his bag to show they had retrieved the files. Cam rejoined the team as well.

"Any idea how to sabotage this place?" Jack threw out there.

"That's simple," Vala spoke up. "The cooling system." She looked around at the incredulous glances looking back at her. "What? It's simple Mother Ship Maintenance 101. The more powerful the engine the more important the cooling system. Plus the coolant is always ten times easier to get to than the engine. Just make sure there's adequate distraction so they won't notice the problem until it's too late to shut it down. Just ask Muscles." They all turned to look at Teal'c.

"Vala Mal Doran is correct," Teal'c said just as several alarms could be heard going off through the facility. "I believe our presence has been noticed."

"Let's just hope our distraction doesn't wear off before the bomb is set," Cam said, readying his weapon.

"Joris, you and Carter stay in the middle," Jack ordered as they helped them to their feet. Sam was a bit unsteady on her feet and gratefully accepted the help Joris offered her. "If there's any fighting you get Carter and you stay down and out of sight. Understood?"

"Yes Colonel," he said as he and Sam awkwardly shuffled out of the room. Teal'c and Vala went first, followed by Joris, Sam, and Daniel, with Jack and Cam bringing up the rear. It was a relief when they located the cooling system a few minutes later, without running into any Inturi. Jack nodded to Cam who quickly readied the explosion.

"Ten minutes," he said when he rejoined the team, "and then however long it takes for the generator to go critical."

"Which means it's time to leave." They took off again, only this time they did intersect a patrol. The patrol was easily dispatched but they did manage to hit Vala in the lower leg.

"I'm fine," she protested as Daniel knelt next to her to look at her injury. Daniel didn't look to sure. "It can wait," she amended, "but we can't. We need to get out of here."

"She's right," Cam said from his position. Daniel nodded and held out his hand to help her up.

"You can heroically carry me out of danger," she joked as he pulled her to her feet.

"Or I can sling you across my back like a bag of potatoes," Daniel countered as she threw her arm around his shoulders and he grabbed her waist. This let them both use their weapons as they made their escape. Which was good as another Inturi force suddenly rounded the corner behind them. Daniel and Vala had them taken out before the others could bring their weapons to bear.

"You do know how to show a girl a good time," Vala quipped as they followed Teal'c down yet another hallway. They had finally managed to find a door that led outside and were examining the scene outside. The courtyard which had been empty when they came in was suddenly teeming with men and machines.

"We need a diversion," Jack muttered. Suddenly the ground shook and the sound of the explosion could be heard. It came from the other side of the complex, and the team was safe, but the effect was immediate. The men and machines all started racing toward the now burning building.

"You're good," Cam whistled. They waited a few seconds to let everybody get a good head start before breaking their cover and running full speed through the courtyard. In the confusion it took the Inturi a few seconds to realize their prey was escaping. A few seconds was enough time to get them through the empty courtyard and back into the maze of buildings that made up that part of the city. They could hear the Inturi pursuing; every so often they got close enough to take a few shots which Jack and Teal'c responded to in kind.

"I see the ship," Daniel yelled from his position in front. Jack nodded to Teal'c who put on a burst of speed and covered the remaining distance within seconds. By the time the rest of them made it to the ship Teal'c had already had the engines going and was speeding away as soon as everyone was on board.

"They are pursuing," Teal'c reported from his seat when suddenly an explosion more massive than anything they were hoping for lit up the sky.

"Hold on!" Jack barely managed to get out before the shock wave hit and they knew no more.


	8. Chapter 8

Warnings and disclaimer in chapter 1.

Enjoy.

* * *

><p>Jack awoke to the very unpleasant sensation of being carried over someone's back. He started to struggle, which turned out to be a very bad idea when the world decided to start twirling. "Remain calm O'Neill." Teal'c's voice managed to penetrate through his grogginess and he stopped his struggles immediately.<p>

"Teal'c," he rasped, licking his lips until he finally found his voice. "What happened?"

"We crashed," Teal'c said. "I am going to set you down soon. I believe it may be unpleasant." Without warning Teal'c stopped and slung Jack off of his shoulder. Jack managed not to scream, but couldn't stop the small whimper from escaping.

"Jack?" He could hear Daniel's voice but there was no way he was able to respond to it. "What about Colonel Mitchell?"

"I shall retrieve him immediately." He heard Teal'c stomp off, leaving him alone with Daniel.

"Jack?" Daniel called again. "I don't know if you can hear me, but you dislocated your shoulder. I'm going to pop it back in but it might hurt a bit." Without giving him any time to prepare Daniel grabbed his right arm and tugged. This time Jack couldn't stop the scream from erupting. Thankfully the pain also helped clear his head.

"Ya think," he quipped through clenched teeth when his shoulder popped into place and the archeologist let go of his arm.

"Sometimes," Daniel absently replied as he ripped his shirt to make a sling for Jack's arm.

"What happened?" he asked, looking around at the assembled group as Daniel strapped his arm tightly.

"We crashed."

"No. Really?" Jack rolled his eyes at his friend.

"The plan worked. The generator overheated and exploded destroying the Inturi base. The explosion was bigger than we thought it would be though. Unfortunately it took out most of the city." Jack nodded his head in understanding. He didn't want to destroy the city.

"At least it's abandoned," he said comfortingly.

"Mostly," Daniel said. "We did find a few casualties as we searched for a building sturdy enough to regroup. Mostly Inturi, but there are a few civilians here and there." Jack put his hand comfortingly on his friend's shoulder. This part of the job sucked and he knew Daniel would be taking it harder than anyone. "The shock wave caught the ship and tossed it like it was a toy. Smashed through the shields in a matter of seconds. Left us powerless and free falling out of the sky. Thankfully Teal'c wasn't able to get us any higher or we never would have survived the crash."

"How is everyone?" He noticed Vala laid out beside him and Joris and Sam off in the corner.

"Mitchell is still trapped. I don't know if he's alive." Daniel said this soft enough so only Jack could hear.

"He's tough," he reassured his friend. "Teal'c will get him." He turned toward the woman next to him. "Vala?" he asked loud enough for her to hear. Her eyes snapped open immediately.

"Alive and kicking," she smirked before frowning slightly, "well alive at least."

"Her wounded leg is now a broken, wounded leg," Daniel said. "I think Joris has a concussion while Sam just has bumps and bruises."

"She was zoning out when we crashed," Vala explained. "She didn't tense up like the rest of us did."

"Of course she didn't," he muttered before turning on Daniel. "You?"

"Broken ribs, punctured lung, tiny bump on the head." He shrugged. "Nothing I haven't had a hundred times before."

"I'll raise you a broken collarbone," Jack said as he struggled to his feet. He let the world settle down before taking stock of their supplies. "The ship?" he asked.

"In pieces," Daniel told him. "These are the only supplies I could find that survived unless something in the cockpit made it which I doubt." They had one complete pack and a few other odds and ends to work with.

"Joris?" Jack called to the Minister. He and Sam quickly joined them. Sam automatically reached for the medkit but stopped short, instead just staring at her hands in uncertainty. "Can we expect a rescue?" Jack asked.

"Eventually," he started, "but if communications have been disrupted it could be several days before they realize something is wrong and then several more days to make the trek from the new settlement to the old city. Not to mention when they find out what we've done the Chancellor might simply have them shoot us on sight."

"So I'm gonna call that a maybe." Jack thought for a moment before turning abruptly at a noise coming toward them. He automatically reached for his weapon before realizing it wasn't there. Cursing he looked around for anything he could use as a weapon until he caught sight of Teal'c quickly making his way back to them.

"You can put me down now Teal'c," they heard Cam say from his position on the Jaffa's shoulders.

"Indeed I can Colonel Mitchell," Teal'c said as they joined the rest of the group. "This may cause you some discomfort." Jack winced in sympathy as the big man effortlessly lifted the Colonel from his shoulders. Cam didn't cry out, though, but they soon realized it was because he had passed out from the pain. Jack didn't blame him. Aside from the broken legs he could see several bad burns on his hands and arms, and that was just what he glimpsed in his quick survey.

"Now would be a good time to set his legs Daniel," Jack said, "before he wakes up again." Daniel nodded and with Teal'c's help quickly set both of Cam's legs and was scrounging up material for a splint when Teal'c came over to Jack.

"The surviving Inturi forces are gathering near here," he reported. "I do not know what their intent is, however I believe it would be prudent to limit our contact with them from this point on."

"Maybe they're just licking their wounds like we are?" Jack's hope died shortly after though, when an artillery shell was fired toward their location hitting a few buildings away from them. "They know we're here."

"We've got to move," Cam said from his position on the ground. Daniel glanced up, surprised to see him conscious and quickly finished splinting his legs as best he could. Cam gritted his teeth but didn't make a sound.

"Ideas?" Jack threw out.

"We could go to the Stargate Project," Joris said suddenly. "It has reinforced walls that should be able to take this shelling. Maybe we can get the communication equipment working and call for assistance."

"Sounds like a plan," Jack said, helping Daniel pull Vala to her feet while Teal'c prepared to lift Cam again. "You gonna be okay carrying him T?" He could see Teal'c leaning heavily to one side and several burns all over his skin.

"I will be fine O'Neill. My symbiote is already repairing the damage." He turned to Cam again. "I am afraid I will again cause you more discomfort Colonel Mitchell."

"Story of my life," Cam said as Teal'c once again hauled him over his shoulder. Joris quickly led the group away from the shelling, toward one of only a handful of remaining buildings left standing.

"I'm afraid the lift might not have power," Joris said as they entered the building. He went over to an old fashion elevator and his the button, but the lift remained stubbornly silent. "There is a second way down, however it will be extremely uncomfortable with your injuires."

"Uncomfortable beats dead any day," Cam said from his position on Teal'c's back. "Lead on." The rest of the group nodded and Joris led them around the corner to an emergency hatch. "The first twenty feet or so is a ladder built into the tunnel, but when it opens into the excavated area beneath it becomes a stairway you should find much easier. Shall I go first and make sure everything is safe?"

Jack reluctantly agreed, all of his training screaming to keep the civilian in the back but he knew Joris was the best choice. "Go ahead." Jack said. Daniel reached into the bag and pulled out one of the two remaining flashlights and handed it to Joris.

"Good luck," he said as he helped the other man into the tunnel. They watched as his light went deeper and deeper and Jack wondered if the tunnel was ever going to end.

"It is secure," Joris shouted out suddenly. "I have surveyed the staircase and it looks secure as well."

"We're coming down," Jack yelled back down to Joris. "Do we have any rope Daniel?" Daniel shook his head. "Damn. You gonna be okay carrying Mitchell T?"

"Indeed," Teal'c replied. Daniel pulled out their medkit and handed Cam some pills.

"For the pain," he told him. "We do have some morphine if you'd prefer…"

"This is good," he stopped him. He grabbed the proffered pills and swallowed them dry. "Need to keep a clear head till we get somewhere safe." Daniel nodded understandingly.

"It would be best if you were to hold onto my back Colonel Mitchell," Teal'c said as he surveyed the tunnel. Cam agreed and they adjusted positions until they were able to accommodate the small space. Teal'c carefully began his descent. A few minutes later he called out, "We have successfully reached the bottom O'Neill."

"Way to go Teal'c!" Jack cried out before turning to the team. "Daniel and Vala your next." As they made their way down the windows shook from a shell that landed near the building. Looking out the window he saw the Inturi were slowly closing the gap between them, systematically destroying anything that they could be using for shelter.

"We're down Jack," Daniel called out. Jack headed back for the hatch surprised to find Sam already inside and waiting for him to join her.

"Guess it's our turn Sir," she said as she moved down a few rungs to let him have room.

"Don't worry Major," he smiled at her, "I'm right behind you." She waited till he was inside the tunnel before starting the trek down. He found the journey incredibly difficult and slow going with only one good arm, but Sam never got too far ahead of him and always waited for him to catch up before moving on. Just like the Sam he remembered would do. He smiled as he heard Sam's feet land on something that was not a metal rung and knew this part of the journey was almost over.

Joris was waiting for them as they dropped onto the staircase. "The others have begun the climb down," he explained as he led the way down. The stairs were much easier than the ladder and they quickly caught up to the rest of the team. Within minutes they had reached the bottom where the lift opened up again. "This way," Joris told them, leading them down a darkened tunnel. The tunnel ended at a door, which Joris could not open no matter how hard he tried. "I don't understand. There is no power to this sector. The door should not be able to lock without power."

"1 4 8 2 9," Sam said quietly, heading over and punching in those numbers to the seemingly dead scanner. There was a loud beep in the silent cave then suddenly the door opened. "They have their own power source here," she said as if in a trance. "A naquadah generator. I think I developed it for them."

"Why not," Jack joked, "you developed it for us." Joris turned and looked at Jack questioningly, but Sam had already headed into the facility and led them into the control room. Sure enough everything had power in the lab.

"I didn't know those came in pocket size variety," Cam said as Teal'c gently deposited him into one of the many chairs.

"Woah," Jack gasped as he saw what Cam had seen. "That looks like the one Orlin built."

"Orlin?" Sam asked, closing her eyes as she tried to find the memory his name almost brought up. Meanwhile Joris took a seat at the computer and pulled up the communications system.

"Communications are down," he told them. "While everything is working down here, the tower that transmits the signal beyond this facility is not responding. It was probably destroyed by the Inturi."

"Speaking of the Inturi," Jack injected. "They were slowly making their way here."

"Do they know about this place?" Daniel asked.

"I am unsure," Joris admitted, "but if they realize they destroyed a communications tower they might figure out there is an underground lab that we have taken shelter in."

"Let's secure this place as much as we can just in case," Jack said. He motioned to Teal'c as Joris told them how to secure the building. When he was finished they quickly took off, not wanting to leave any opportunity for the Inturi.

"Can we escape using that?" Cam asked, pointing to the miniature Stargate in the lab beyond.

"As impressive as that is," Joris said pulling up other files from the computer, "it is non operational."

"What?" Sam said, turning and leaving the control room and heading for the lab. Joris and Daniel quickly followed her leaving Cam and Vala in the control room.

"What do we have here?" Vala asked, sitting down in the chair recently occupied by Joris.

"What are you doing," he asked, pushing his chair forward as well, glad they had rollers to move them. "I doubt you are going to find treasure maps in there."

"You never know until you look," Vala said. "I do believe there are security cameras though."

"What?" Cameron quickly copied her actions and was surprised to find several feeds coming to them. "Sweet," he said as he quickly found Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c and was able to follow their movement through the complex. Another one he found extremely helpful and extremely terrifying was one on the surface looking toward the door of the complex that housed the entrance. It was partially buried, but still worked enough to see the remaining Inturi force slowly hunt for them. They hadn't found the entrance yet and Cam could only hope they remained ignorant.

"It should work," Sam interrupted, reentering the control room and using another computer to pull up the schematics she could almost remember writing. "If I could just remember."

"Remember what?" Jack asked as he and Teal'c reentered the control room. Instead of answering Sam simply stared at the schematics. Jack sighed and turned his attention back to the team. "We shut the outer door and disconnected the power."

"Good. There are several safety doors located throughout the facility that we can close as well now that we are all safely in the control room."

"We're gonna need them," Cam said from his monitor. "They just found the entrance to the bat cave." Joris quickly typed in a command and the safety doors all closed.

"That is as secure as we can make this facility," Joris told them.

"Will it hold?" Vala asked.

"We can only hope." Joris sounded resigned.

"There is another way out," Sam said suddenly, turning to face them. "We can leave through the Stargate."

"It doesn't work Carter," Jack reminded her softly.

"I can make it work," she insisted, locking gazes with Joris. "I just need to remember."

"No!" he said sternly.

"What?" Jack asked looking back and forth between them.

"Father please," she begged.

"I will not lose you," he told her, "even to yourself."

"There is no other way."

"What?" Jack asked again, only this time he nearly shouted the word. They both stopped and stared at him. Joris reluctantly answered him.

"The electrodes they implanted for the procedure react with electricity. If a steady stream is applied they are able to sift through memories as easily as if they were reading a book."

"If we do the same thing I can remember," Sam finished. "I can figure out why the Stargate isn't working, repair it and we can use it to escape."

"What's the downside?" Jack asked, knowing there had to be one for Joris to be so adamant about not doing it.

"There are many problems Colonel," Joris answered. "First the electrical current the Inturi use during the procedure is highly regulated for power, duration, and timing. The equipment available here is nowhere near sophisticated enough to apply the current safely. It could overload her nervous system and she could die. Second the Inturi had equipment that allowed them not only to review and modify memories, but to store them and ultimately return them, either in a dormant or active state, to their victim. If we are somehow able to fire off the electrodes without killing her, without the proper equipment once the effects fade…"

"Her memories will be gone," Daniel finish for him.

"No," Jack said sternly.

"Sir there is no other way." She turned to face him, looking him directly in the eye. "You can either loose me or loose everybody."

"Shit," Cam exclaimed glancing down at his monitor to check the progress of the Inturi. "They're through the tunnel and at the first door."

"There is no other way Jack," she said softly. He stared into her eyes for what seemed like an eternity before making his decision.

"Where are we going to get the electricity needed?" he asked, hating the fact that she was right again.

"That's the easy part," she said, nodding to a primitive looking outlet on the wall.

"I will find you again Sam," he told her quietly as they moved toward the wall.

"I'll be waiting Jack," she said as she laid the frayed wire in his hands. He impulsively pulled her into his arms and kissed her so deeply he momentarily forgot anyone else was alive in the universe except her. He regretfully broke the kiss just before he plunged the wire into the outlet.

For a moment nothing happened. Then suddenly the current jumped from the outlet through the wire, singing his fingers where he held it. With a curse he dropped the wires and turned just in time to see Sam falling backwards, the electrodes sparking and being pushed out of her head from the force of the electrical current. Teal'c caught her before she hit the ground, but there was little anyone could do as several seizures overcame her. "Help me hold her down," he cried out as he and Teal'c threw themselves on her. Within seconds everyone else had followed their lead. It seemed like an eternity before the seizures finally let up. Jack cautiously lifted himself from her body and felt for a pulse. "She's alive," he said with a sigh. He and Teal'c helped get everyone else off her and settled back into their chairs. For a moment she simply lay on the floor, and then she quickly got to her feet, studied the schematics for a minute, and quickly headed to the lab. "Monitor their progress Mitchell," Jack ordered as everyone who was able followed Sam.

"Right," he said grimacing against the pain, keeping one eye on the monitor where the Inturi were currently trying to blast through the outer door and keeping one eye on Sam as she tried to fix their only hope of getting out of this mess.

"Do you think this will work?" Vala asked, settling her chair next to Cam. She wasn't even looking through the computer now, instead all her attention was on Sam.

"I'm confident," he told her, unwilling to let his own doubts show in front of anyone.

"So am I," she replied. "After all they are the legend of the SGC."

"And what are we? Peons?" he quipped, glancing briefly to the monitor to check the Inturi's progress. "Don't you have buried treasure to find?" She jumped up at the reminder and slid her chair over to her computer. Content that the world was as good as he could make it, he sat back and watched the legends do their thing.

* * *

><p>"Sam?" Daniel asked as she dragged himself and Joris over to the miniature Stargate. She pried open a panel on the chevrons, studied the inner mechanism for a moment, and then deftly disconnected and reconnected the misaligned conduit. She handed the tools to Daniel with a pointed look. "We'll just check the rest of them." He knew he said the right thing when she turned and started routing through their packs. He was curious what she was doing, but knew they had to get this done. He turned to Joris and asked, "Did you get any of that?"<p>

"I think so," he said, stepping up and studying the circuitry intently. "The conduit is misaligned. Instead of the current heading to the next chevron it was sent to a dead end branch. Probably the result of a simple error during the transcribing phase of the Stargate's development."

"I hope so," Daniel said as they moved to the next chevron and pulled off the casing, "otherwise we'll never have enough time to find and replace all the faulty circuits." Joris nodded his agreement but they were able to locate and fix the circuit quickly. They had managed to find and replace all the wrong conduits just as Cam called out.

"They're almost through the outer door." Jack cursed and headed up to the control room with Teal'c.

"The security doors will not hold the Inturi long," Joris said as they rejoined Sam. She had pulled out their laptop and was typing away furiously. "What now Kianna?" Joris asked quietly.

"Power the gate," she said without breaking stride. Joris nodded and returned to the control room where he input a series of commands. Everyone held their breath as first one glyph than another lit up on the Stargate. Their cheers were dampened when Cam announced the Inturi had broken through the first door. Sam suddenly stopped typing and returned to the control room with the laptop. Vala quickly moved out of her way as she headed right for the computer terminal the thief was using and connected it to the laptop.

"Teal'c," Jack ordered, "get everyone into the gate room and ready to go through the gate as soon as it opens." Teal'c nodded and soon everyone was within a few steps of the miniature Stargate. "They've broken through the second gate," Jack announced. "Only one more and they're here." The group below began to upturn table and chairs. Anything they could think of to create cover between them and the Inturi. Just as the Inturi made it to the third gate Sam finished whatever she was doing and hit a key. She waited just long enough for the Stargate to start dialing before grabbing the laptop and making her way down to the group, Jack following quickly behind her.

"I just realized something," Cam said as the second chevron locked in place. "It's not big enough to walk through so you're going to throw us through like pieces of trash aren't you Teal'c."

"Indeed," Teal'c smirked.

"You can throw me anywhere Muscles," Vala cooed. Daniel's laugh turned into a wince as his broken ribs protested while Cam just looked at her in amazement as the chevrons continued to click into place.

"Anyone have any idea where we're going?" Daniel asked as soon as he could breathe again.

"Anywhere's better than here," Jack shouted. They could hear the Inturi as they tried to break through the last door. It didn't hold them for long. The Inturi broke through the final door as the Stargate burst into life. Teal'c grabbed a hold of Cameron and flung him through the open Stargate then turned and did the same for Vala. By then the Inturi realized what was happening and concentrated their fire on the Stargate. Jack and Daniel returned fire with the only weapons they could find, Daniel's sidearm and Vala's zat. Sam made her way up the ramp and threw in the pack where she had returned the laptop. Just as she was about to leap through the gate Joris saw the bullet streaking toward her.

"No!" he cried as he pushed her out of the way with every bit of strength he had. They both fell hard to the ramp.

"Sam," Daniel cried as he and Jack increased their cover fire to allow Teal'c time to reach them. Daniel's gun soon ran out of ammo and he threw the useless weapon away and went to help Teal'c. "You get Joris and I'll get Sam," he told the Jaffa. Teal'c nodded and lifted Joris up and threw him through the wormhole. Daniel was able to pull Sam off the ground before Teal'c effortlessly picked her up and she too went flying through the Stargate.

"Go Daniel," Jack ordered. Daniel didn't need to be told twice and flung himself through the wormhole. He shook off the shock of landing on the other side, knowing Teal'c and Jack would be coming through soon, and scrambled out of the way. He heard people running towards them and heard voices, but couldn't place them as the pain in his chest skyrocketed to new levels. He managed to stay conscious long enough to hear Teal'c and Jack join him and the Stargate shut down before he fell into darkness.


	9. Chapter 9

Warnings and disclaimer in chapter 1.

Enjoy.

* * *

><p>"What do you think Mitchell and Vala are doing now?" Sergeant Jorgensen asked as the three members of SG-1 casually made their way from the Sanctuary to the Stargate.<p>

"Probably bored out of their mind," Roberts answered. "Either that or Vala's driving him crazy just for something to do."

"You don't think they'll find her?" Major Bailey asked.

"I hope they do," Roberts replied honestly. "I've heard great stories about Major Carter and SG-1. But she died over four years ago."

"And she died," Jorgensen piped up. "It wasn't like she suddenly disappeared offworld. They saw her die."

"That's true," Bailey admitted. He knew that if there was any doubt in his mind Colonel O'Neill wouldn't have accepted her death all these years. His sudden fanatical behavior at the small glimpse of hope that she might be alive was more than enough to tell him there was never any doubt about her fate until a few weeks ago. The sudden sound of the Stargate whirling interrupted his musings.

"Are we expecting company?" Jorgensen asked as they all increased their pace.

"Not that I know off," Bailey responded. They reached the clearing just as the last chevron locked into place and the wormhole whooshed into existence. They ducked down into defensive crouches waiting for someone to step through. They were surprised when Cam flopped unceremoniously out of the wormhole.

"Colonel Mitchell," Roberts said as they quickly ran up to him. No sooner had he said that then Vala came flying through the gate, landing on Roberts back and taking them both down. Jorgensen went to help them while Bailey headed for their commander.

"Colonel? Can you hear me?" Bailey reached for Cam's shoulders as the other man struggled to get clear of the gate. He quickly pulled him a few paces back. Cam rallied enough to focus on his face.

"Bailey?" he asked in surprise. He quickly nodded. "How goes the mission?" he asked.

"Fine Sir," he said looking around and seeing Roberts and Jorgensen dragging Vala out of the way just as a pack came flying through the still open Stargate. Roberts quickly retrieved it and looked towards Bailey in confusion. "The planets are willing to negotiate and the Monks are willing to hold the summit here," he continued to report as he tried to figure out what was going on.

"Well done," Cam told him. "Our mission was a success too." He said that just as another figure came flying out of the wormhole. "I'm gonna pass out now." Bailey looked down in time to see Cam's eyes roll back and his head flop gracelessly to the ground. He took just enough time to ensure his commander had a steady pulse than was racing for the next downed man, Roberts and Jorgensen right behind him.

"He's been shot," Bailey called out as they neared the man, but before they could get to him another body shot out of the gate. Bailey had just enough reflexes to grab this person in his arms, cushioning them with his own body as they both went down. He was also expecting the fall and was able to extract himself and pull the body clear of the gate within seconds. The other two had pulled the injured man off to the side and were starting first aid on what was obviously a recent and dangerously placed gunshot wound.

Another person was ejected from the wormhole and Bailey immediately recognized Dr. Jackson. Calling for Roberts to help, he quickly made his way to where Dr. Jackson had fallen, but he had already scrambled out of the way before they could reach for him. He turned back just in time to see Teal'c and Colonel O'Neill tumble from the wormhole and land in a heap at the base of the gate. He quickly checked Dr. Jackson's pulse before helping Roberts separate the remaining two men and drag them clear of the gate. Roberts nodded that their pulse was good and went to help Jorgensen save the life of the man he was working on.

"We need medical help Sir," Roberts yelled to him. Bailey nodded and Roberts started running for the DHD. He turned around to check on the mystery person he had caught and stopped short when he recognized Major Carter staring calmly around at the trees.

"Holy Shit," he cursed. "They did it. They fuckin did it." The other two looked up at his words, momentarily stunned, before continuing their tasks.

"Let's hope they didn't pay for it with their lives," Roberts called as the wormhole clicked to life. He left the DHD and went to help Jorgensen. Bailey grabbed his radio and headed toward the Stargate, never letting the missing Major out of his sight.

"SGC this is SG-1. Do you copy?"

"We copy Major," came the voice of General Hammond.

"Sir we need immediate medical treatment planetside with immediate medical evac earthside as soon as possible." He could hear the orders to prepare the medical teams being shouted in the background before General Hammond got on the radio again.

"What is the situation Major?"

"I don't know Sir," Bailey admitted. "All I know is the wormhole opened and Colonel O'Neill's team came flying through looking half dead."

"Understood. Medical help is on its way. Hammond out." The gate shut down only to be opened a few minutes later as Dr. Fraiser led several SGC medical teams through the gate.

"What do we got?" she called out heading toward Major Bailey, her eyes already surveying the scene in front of her. Her teams had already started assessing the various people spread out through the clearing.

"Gunshot wound," Bailey said pointing to the man Roberts and Jorgensen were still working on. "I think that is the most critical." She nodded and ran over there, calling out instructions to her team back at the SGC.

"We'll need six stretchers," she told them when she saw one of her newest nurses had managed to get one of the arrivals in a sitting position. "Tell Warner to prep the OR. We have a GSW that needs surgery STAT. Have plenty of blood and saline available." Corpsmen were carrying through the stretchers and her staff quickly secured the team for transport. By the time she had stabilized her patient the others had already been transported back to the SGC. The rest of SG-1 followed her as she led the last stretcher home.

She passed the alien off to Warner who was waiting in the OR, but soon found herself scrubbing up when she discovered Daniel's punctured lungs. By the time she had finished sorting him out her team had finished with the rest of them. She stopped by each of their bedsides, glancing at their chart and mentally cataloging the collection of bumps, bruises, burns, and broken bones they had and wondering what exactly they had gotten themselves into to get these injuries. She had just finished looking over Teal'c's chart and was about to retire to her quarters for some well deserved rest when a sudden thought came over her. "Where's Sam?" She hadn't meant to say it out loud, but nevertheless Teal'c bolted upright and began searching the infirmary.

"We returned with her," he said desperately. "I remember throwing her through the Stargate myself."

"You rest Teal'c," she ordered when he began to get out of bed. "I'll find her." He acquiesced when his tired body refused to obey his commands. Satisfied he wasn't going anywhere, Janet called General Hammond, who promptly ordered a level by level search. Janet paced restlessly by the door, her sudden weariness replaced by adrenaline. She wanted to go search herself, but knew she needed to stay here until they called. The night staff caught onto her tension and they all waited restlessly for the phone to ring.

* * *

><p>Hammond left his office as soon as he ordered the base to be searched. He knew the search would be thorough, that no area would be overlooked, but he also knew Sam and wanted to check the areas he thought she would most likely go personally. He left the search in the very capable hands of Major Castleman and headed down to the science labs.<p>

Even though lab space was at a premium, no one had tried to take over Major Carter's lab yet. Considering the amount of time she spent there he thought that would be a good place to start looking. Seeing the light on in the unused lab was a good sign. He quietly opened the door enough to slip into the room and immediately saw her sitting in the corner. She seemed content there so he took a second to call both the Infirmary to report her whereabouts and the Control Room to call of the search. Then he quietly called out to her. "Major Carter?" She jerked her head up and looked around. He turned on the light so she could see him and called again. "Major Carter."

"I'm sorry," she said, looking around again, "I don't know who that is." His heart fell.

"That's all right," he said, moving further into the room and grabbing a chair. "Is it okay if I talk to you?" She nodded and he placed the chair a few feet in front of her. She studied him intently.

"I'm sorry, but do I know you?"

"Why do you ask?" he asked curiously. He heard the door open and knew Janet had joined them but didn't dare look away in case he spooked Major Carter.

"I can't remember ever meeting you," she started, "but I get the strangest feeling I've known you for a very long time." He chuckled softly at that.

"Longer than most people know," he told her, motioning Janet forward. "Do you remember Dr. Janet Fraiser?"

"No," she said, but regarded the other woman with the same confused look she gave him. They shared a quick glance before Janet took over.

"Sam, why did you leave the Infirmary?" She looked confused before something clicked in her brain.

"The place before?" she asked. Janet nodded. "It was too… much. I had to get away. I started walking and found myself here and it seemed familiar." She shrugged as if that explained everything. Janet and Hammond shared another glance before Janet spoke again.

"It was a bit hectic before, but it's calmed down since then. You're hurt and I want to help you." She pointed out Sam's broken arm. The pristine cast had not fared well in the crash and was starting to crack and chip away. Sam stared at it as if she just noticed she was hurt. "Please let me help you," Janet begged. She held out her hand, praying the blonde would take it. Sam stared into her eyes. They could see the fear and uncertainty warring with the familiarity she had for these people. Slowly she reached her hand out and let Janet pull her to her feet. She followed them to the Infirmary, pausing momentarily on the threshold.

"It's okay. No one will hurt you." Hammond smiled reassuringly at her and she felt some of her fear leave. She followed them into the room, scanning nervously every direction as she slowly made her way to where Janet waited. Teal'c startle her when he opened his eyes, but although she didn't remember him she got such great comfort from his presence she knew he would never hurt her. He simply nodded at her and closed his eyes again. She felt the same comfort from two other men she recognized around her and by the time she reached the bed where Janet was waiting her fear had left enough for sleep to become a wanted thing. She climbed up on the bed and was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

* * *

><p>Janet and General Hammond watched in amazement as just the sight of the men of SG-1 was enough to banish Sam's fears. When she fell asleep Janet gave a sigh of relief. "That makes my job easier," she said, not relishing the thought of doing a full physical on someone as skittish as Sam was earlier.<p>

"I'm going to post guards at the entrance to make sure Major Carter doesn't wander off again," Hammond told her. "Feel free to use them if certain patients wake up and are disorderly."

"I'll keep that in mind Sir."

"We need concrete proof this is Major Carter as soon as you can."

"I'll get some samples for a DNA test. Hopefully we will have solid proof within the next few days." Hammond nodded his approval.

"I'll let you get to work then Doctor," he said as he turned to leave the room. "Let me know as soon as Colonel O'Neill wakes up. We need to know what happened out there." She nodded as he left the infirmary.

"Let's get to work," she said as she gathered up her necessary tools and mentally prepared herself for another long stretch ahead.

* * *

><p>It took the better part of two hours before Janet was finished. By that time the labs were already working on the samples she sent; she had plastered her broken arm, wrapped her broken ribs, cleaned and bandaged every scrape on her best friend, and had been up for more than twenty four hours and was exhausted. But she was unwilling to leave her friend's side. Instead she pulled over a chair and pulled out her chart, studying it intently as she tried to figure out what had happened to her over the last few years.<p>

"Doctor." The word was spoken softly but the effect was immediate. She shot to her feet and immediately began searching for the emergency, not noticing her legs getting tangled in the blanket one of her nurses had thrown over her. "Doctor," the voice said again, but this time she was able to identify the owner as General Hammond.

"Sir," she asked, trying to get her sleep filled mind to focus.

"It's time for you to get some sleep Doctor," Hammond said. She blinked wearily at her watch, surprised to find almost three hours had passed since she had finished with Sam. She glanced back, just to make sure her friend was back and it hadn't all been a dream. "Get some sleep Doctor. She'll be here in the morning."

"Yes Sir," she said, grabbing the blanket and quickly folding it and putting it in the discarded chair. "What about you Sir?" she asked when he made no move to follow her from the Infirmary.

"I'm waiting for a return call from the Tok'ra," he told her. "Until then…" She smiled knowingly.

"I recommend some pillows to support your neck," she told him. "I'll send the nurse down with some."

"Thank you Doctor." She nodded and quietly made her way out of the Infirmary, pausing only long enough to pass on her request to her night nurse before making her way to her quarters. She was asleep in minutes.

The next morning she woke up refreshed. She wasn't surprised to learn the General had spent more than a few hours next to Sam's bedside, leaving only when the Tok'ra finally made contact just a few hours ago. She was surprised to find that everyone was awake in her infirmary. "Good morning," she greeted as she walked past the rows of beds. They all murmured something back to her before continuing on with their own conversations in hushed tones.

"Morning Doctor," her nurse greeted as she held out the report of the nights activities. Janet was happy to see that everyone had a quiet night. She thanked her and slowly made her way to the two curtained off beds which held Sam and the alien Joris. She slipped quietly inside Sam's curtained off area, panicking when she saw the bed was empty. She flung the curtains open to check that the guard was still stationed outside.

"I believe Major Carter went to visit Minister DeLuan," Teal'c said, before smoothly joining in the conversation again. She calmed her heartbeat and quietly slipped into the last curtained area in the room. Sam was curled up fast asleep in the chair she obviously brought from her own area. She checked the two of them to make sure they were sleeping peacefully, threw the discarded blanket over the blonde's form, and quietly left the area.

"And how are you today Colonel?" she asked, coming to the first bed she saw.

"Perfect," he said, and she knew he didn't mean his physical condition. By the time she finished making her rounds General Hammond had finished with the Tok'ra and was heading down for an impromptu mission briefing. She had just enough time to check on Sam one last time before the General got down. She was surprised to find Sam awake and staring at the man on the bed, but she seemed content and Janet decided she could stay there until the briefing was over.

Jack started the briefing, but by the end everyone was pitching in to tell the story of how they got their missing friend back home. "So Sam's memories are completely gone?" Janet asked when she heard the sacrifice Sam had made to get everybody home.

"Joris was pretty sure that's what would happen," Jack said. "Why?" Instead of answering she turned to the General.

"That would explain why she couldn't remember meeting you Sir."

"But not why I felt familiar to her," he returned. She shrugged.

"Maybe her memories are still there, just buried." She made a few notes in Sam's folders as they continued.

"The files we were able to download from the Inturi computer?" Daniel asked.

"The laptop was recovered," Hammond told him. "I'll have a team start going over any data we are able to pull up."

"I think we should make stopping the Inturi a priority," Jack said. "They were damn close to making a super human and from what Vala tells us we are the only ones who know that. If they have other labs that are that close we have to consider them a real threat."

"Agreed. We'll review whatever data we are able to recover and decide on a plan of action. In the mean time I think we should pay another visit to the Creillon. If there's nothing else." The military officers tried to sit up straighter as he left, but it was hard to do between all the tubing and injuries. Janet smiled as she slid back into the curtained cubicle.

"Sam," she smiled when she noticed the other woman looking back at her.

"Is that my name?" she asked quietly after a few minutes.

"Your name is Major Samantha Carter," she said quietly, grabbing another chair and positioning it so she could look Sam in the eyes, "but its Sam to your friends."

"So we're friends," she said softly mostly to herself, turning to stare at the man in the bed once more. Janet was quiet for a few minutes, wanting to let Sam take the lead in the conversation. "Sam felt right," she said finally, "but so does Kianna."

"Kianna has been your name for the last few years," Janet told her. "I wouldn't be surprised if you felt more comfortable being Kianna than Sam right now."

"That doesn't help me find out who I am," she said sadly. Janet laughed.

"You're more than just the name you answer to. We will all be here for you as you figure out who you are."

"Thank you," Sam said sincerely. Janet nodded and left the room, pausing to put a supporting hand on Sam's shoulder. She didn't jerk away, but Janet could tell she was lost in her thoughts again.

The next few days passed in a blur as first Teal'c than Vala were released, but after their initial flee from the Infirmary they were back, this time carrying bags of food and items to keep everybody entertained. Surprisingly none of the others badgered Janet to be let go, though she had an idea that when Sam finally felt comfortable enough to leave that would change.

Sam was medically cleared first, though her uneasiness kept her in the Infirmary and Janet ordered her bed to be kept available for her. Sam kept mainly to herself, either in her own bed or next to the man Janet learned had been cast to play her father. Sam had gamely allowed them to try a few techniques to restore her memory, but so far nothing had worked. The Tok'ra had heard about her predicament and had offered the use of the Recall Device as well as a technician to operate it. They were expected to arrive within a few days.

When the rest of SG-1 arrived with a few pizzas in tow Janet quietly left the Infirmary. "So how's the rest of the universe looking?" Cam asked as he helped himself to a slice.

"The rest of the universe is boring compared to what's happening here," Roberts said in awe. "You know what they're saying? They're saying she built a Stargate."

"Well not a real Stargate," Vala countered from her chair by Daniel's bedside. Roberts looked up triumphantly.

"I knew it. Pay up." Jorgensen groaned as he started to reach for his wallet, but before he could pull out his money Vala finished.

"Just a little portable one." Roberts groaned and Jorgensen smiled triumphantly.

"So the rest must be true too?" Roberts asked as he handed his money over to Jorgensen. "How she took out the entire Inturi complex with one bomb?"

"Hey," Cam interjected, "That one was me."

"Acting on my idea," Vala added.

"Which you would not have had if Major Carter had not deduced the alternate power source the Inturi were using," Teal'c pointed out.

"Well," she shrugged, "there is that."

"Did they really kiss?" Jorgensen asked eagerly. They all turned and stared at Vala.

"What?" she asked innocently. "It was the most romantic yet utterly tragic thing I have ever seen."

"Don't ask me," Cam said, blushing slightly. "I was busy looking at a monitor." They all burst out laughing at the same time. "So what's going on out there?" Cam asked when he could breathe again.

"We were able to recover most of the files you managed to download," Bailey told them, "and the team Hammond sent to the Creillon emerged into the chaos of a civilization trying to save itself from utter catastrophe. Only we didn't buy it this time. When the backup they called for had big guns instead of computers they realized they were caught and surrendered."

"They have dozens of these scenarios playing out on worlds all over the galaxy," Roberts continued where Bailey dropped off, "each designed to target people with a particular skill set."

"And when they find a possible candidate?" Jack asked, needing to know how he ever let his Major slip through his fingers.

"They clone them," Bailey answered. "Apparently their work on Binora left them with superb cloning skills. And since they never worry about putting any mental attributes inside the clone they are able to clone a fully grown human being within a few days."

"They then take the clone and out and have a very public execution on some made up charges. The executions are designed to have little to no evidence left behind to suggest that a clone was ever made. The visiting people usually leave at that point which leaves the Inturi free to whisk away their victim at their leisure."

"Damn," Jack said, hating the fact that he fell for a textbook con.

"We're taking them out Sir," Bailey said to the group. "This won't happen to anyone else." There was heavy silence for a moment.

"What about the Coalition?" Daniel asked.

"The shit's hitting the fan there," Roberts told them. "The secret's out and the other planets are not too happy with Birona right now."

"The Bironians aren't too happy with the Chancellor either," Bailey told them. "He might have been able to save face with his people if he had something to give them in exchange for being lied to for all these years, but there was a second explosion in the old city. The Stargate Project Lab exploded with enough force to completely wipe out the remaining Inturi as well as completely obliterate whatever was left of the city and even reach over to where the mine was."

"She must have overloaded the generators," Daniel said, "and turned that whole lab into a time bomb. But why?"

"To keep the Inturi from following us," Cam said," and to keep the mini Stargate out of the wrong hands. Plus you really can't blame her for wanting to take the whole lot down. They kinda had that coming."

"Well," Roberts continued, "whatever her reasons, the second explosion was big enough to be seen from the new settlement. The people realized they had nothing that could have caused such an explosion. The Chancellor tried covering it up, but by then it was too late. The cat is out of the bag and the people are pissed."

"That's nothing compared to how the Monks are taking it," Bailey added. "They've effectively closed the door on all the planets. Now the governments need to petition to allow certain citizens in for treatment. They did say they would try and help any of the victims from Birona that we were able to identify, including Major Carter."

"So we're maintaining diplomatic ties with the Sanctuary?" Cam asked.

"I believe friendly is the word we're using right now," Bailey said. "The planets and the Monks realize they need to get their act together before we can move ahead with negotiations. We've decided to give them that time. We'll still be there if they need us, but the ball is in their court now."

"The penny pushers aren't too happy about the loss of all those resources but…"

"It was worth it," Jack interrupted Roberts and stared at the curtain which Sam was behind. No one disagreed with him.

"We'll let you get some sleep," Bailey said as he pulled Roberts and Jorgensen from the room. "Get well soon." With that the team was left to their own thoughts.


	10. Chapter 10

Well, here it is. The end of another one of their adventures. I hope you had as much fun reading as I did writing it. Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed. It really does make my day as an author to get your feelings and feedback on my work. I've already started my next story, with another couple ideas floating around my head for others. Hopefully I'll see you all then, though I'm not sure when the next one will get finished.

Once again thank you for reading.

Warnings and disclaimer in chapter 1.

Enjoy.

* * *

><p>"Major Carter, it is time."<p>

"Just give me a minute Teal'c." Teal'c nodded and backed out of the curtained area. She took a deep breath and leaned closer to Joris. "Father? Can you hear me?" He immediately opened his eyes and stared into hers.

"Is it time?" he asked tiredly. She nodded. "You have nothing to fear from your past Kianna."

"But the past is all I have," she protested.

"No," he said sternly. "You have a future. One that is much more wonderful than any I could ever give you on Birona." She smiled briefly at him as Teal'c stuck his head around the curtain. She took a deep breath.

"I'm ready Teal'c." He inclined his head and calmly guided her from the Infirmary. She could feel the penetrating stares from everyone as she passed the beds that were still in use, but she forced herself to focus only on Teal'c's back, afraid she'd loose her nerve if her eyes wavered even the tiniest bit. Teal'c led her to the locker room and calmly waited outside as she changed. She allowed herself to think about the events of the last few days as she pulled on the fatigues left out for her.

She rarely ventured out from her father's cubicle, even though she knew intellectually that man wasn't her father. But he had a sense of familiarity that calmed her soul. He was recovering well from his brush with death and as the days passed he woke more and more often. Eventually it was him who encouraged her to go meet her friends, which she did reluctantly. She could tell how much she was hurting them when she retreated behind the curtain, but thankfully they never pushed for more than she was willing to give.

When Janet approached her with the Monks offer to help restore her memories it was Joris that finally convinced her to go. Teal'c offered to go with her and she greedily accepted. He was another mystery to her. She felt such comfort and familiarity with him, as well as most of the people around the Infirmary, yet she was always drawn back to Joris.

When she was changed she followed Teal'c to the Gate room and was hit with such overwhelming feelings that she fell to her knees. "Major Carter?" Teal'c asked concerned as he knelt down in front of her.

"I'm okay," she said, forcing herself to look him in the eye. "It's just a bit much."

"Indeed," he told her as he waited for her to get her bearings back. When she was ready, he let her take the lead as they headed back to the Sanctuary.

* * *

><p>"They should be back by now," Jack said from his bed.<p>

"SG-1 is with her," Cam reminded him. "So is Teal'c. She's fine."

"Besides the Monks weren't entirely sure if they could help her," Daniel pointed out from his position a few beds down. He was getting the Do's and Don'ts lecture from Janet before she released him. "They might need to try a few things which might just take time."

"Speaking of time, isn't it about time you cut me loose Doc?" Jack asked hopefully.

"Soon Colonel," she told him for the tenth time that day. "Sooner if you stop annoying me and my nurses and be a good boy again." Daniel smirked as she gave him the all clear and she went to join Joris at his bedside. Since he was more aware now she had been consulting him on the technique the Inturi used and possible treatments for Sam. She was also beginning to understand why Sam felt so drawn to him. He was an exceptionally intelligent man as well as being compassionate and caring. He could see him and Sam getting along well if the Inturi hadn't gotten in the way.

"What about me Doc?" Mitchell asked from across the room. "You let Vala out ages ago."

"Vala has one good leg to stand on," she told him, "which is one more than you."

"Burn," Jack joked, but the klaxons announcing an incoming wormhole silenced everyone. A few minutes later Jacob came running into the room.

"She's alive?" he asked Jack, though his eyes never stopped searching the Infirmary.

"She's alive," he confirmed before he launched into the whole story. By the end Jacob had a hard time controlling his emotions and Selmak had taken control. He approached Joris quietly.

"Thank you for keeping Samantha alive," she told the other man, "and helping them rescue her."

"Are you a Goa'uld?" he asked in astonishment. Though his people had known about the Goa'uld for all of their recorded history, he had never met one before.

"I am Selmak of the Tok'ra, and my host is Jacob Carter."

"Kianna's father?" he asked, looking to Jack for conformation. Jack nodded. "It is an honor to meet you Sir." Selmak nodded then bowed her head as Jacob took over.

"Thank you," he cried as he shook this stranger's hand. "Thank you for keeping my baby girl safe." He looked around the room again before settling on Jack. "Where is she?"

"She's offworld with the Monks," he said. "They're trying to see if they can help get her memories back."

"We brought the Memory Recall Device," he said, gesturing to another Tok'ra who was calmly entering the room carrying a small crate. "Hopefully that will help her as well." They chatted casually for another few minutes until General Hammond entered the room.

"Jack," he greeted as he grabbed a chair and sat down next to his bed. "Now that things have calmed down a bit we need to make some decisions." Jack sat up straighter. He knew this conversation was coming.

"I'll retire if I need to," Jack started. "My world ended all those years ago when I thought she died. I've just been going through the motions, and I'm tired of it. I want to live again, not just survive." He turned toward Jacob. "I love your daughter and I know on some level she loves me. I know she doesn't remember right now, but I will spend the rest of my life getting her to fall in love with me again if that's what it takes. Or even just being there for her as a friend if that's what she wants." He turned back to Hammond. "But if you make me choose between her and the SGC I will choose her."

"That's good to know son," Hammond said after a stunned silence, "but that wasn't what I was referring to. Now that Major Carter is back there is talk amongst the Joint Chiefs about reforming the original SG-1." Cam sat up straighter in his bed. "Putting aside your declaration a moment ago, I wondered what your thoughts on that might be." Jack blushed slightly but gave it some serious thought before shaking his head.

"Teal'c has too much responsibility with the Jaffa Nation to abandon it right now. He may be willing to find a replacement and rejoin the SGC, but it would take time. Daniel might be interested in more first contact missions, but a lot of time they come with the fighting for your life missions and he's done with that. As for me, I think my earlier statement sums up my feelings pretty well. Plus we don't even know if Carter wants to keep doing this let alone if she will be able to keep doing this. And I will never force her to do something she doesn't want to do. At this time I don't think reforming the original SG-1 is a feasible option." He looked up at his commander. "I can run the idea past Daniel and Teal'c if you want though."

"I don't think that will be necessary. You summed up my thoughts on the situation as well." He stood to leave. "And Colonel. Good luck with Major Carter, but keep things professional while on base or we will be having another talk. Understood?"

"Yes Sir," he said. Jacob took the opportunity to make his way over toward him.

"Jack," he said politely, "you're right. On some level Sam does love you and you make her very happy. But if you even think about taking advantage of her in her current state Anubis himself will not be able to protect you from me. Understood?"

"Yes Sir," Jack said sharply, sitting up as much as he could. The two Generals shared a look as they left the infirmary.

"I'd say that went pretty well," Daniel said from his position near the door.

"How much did you hear?" Jack asked.

"Pretty much everything," Daniel said coming further into the room. "I brought you a yo-yo."

"Thanks," he muttered, fiddling with the offered toy.

"You know what Jacob said goes for me too," Daniel said. "Probably the same for Teal'c."

"Yeah," Jack admitted. "Speaking of Teal'c. Any idea when they're getting back?" The klaxons sounded just as Jack said that.

"Maybe that's them," Daniel said as he rushed from the room. A few minutes later he returned with Sam, Teal'c, and Jacob. Janet quickly joined their group.

"Any improvement?" she asked studying Sam intently. She seemed more relaxed and confident than before, but Sam simply shook her head.

"The Healers of the Sanctuary were able to help better understand Major Carter's condition," Teal'c reported, "but her memories remain elusive."

"They think my practical memories, my how to memories, were never tampered with by the Inturi and should be fine. But my situational memories, memories of people, places, events, and such are gone. I can probably take apart and reassemble every piece of equipment in this room, but have no idea what any of it is for."

"Please don't," Janet said as she came over to her friend's side.

"We can try the Recall Device," Jacob said. Sam agreed and they spent the next several hours trying to pull up any memories they could. It was all for naught though. Nothing remained from before she woke up in the clearing with SG-1 hovering around.

"I don't think they're gone," Janet said as she saw Sam's disheartened look. "I was talking with Joris and we think there's a chance your memories are just scattered and buried inside your mind. That's why you were still able to remember us even though you couldn't remember meeting us. They might still come back."

"If you say so," Sam said gloomily, taking her customary place by Joris's bedside.

"Kianna?" Joris asked kindly. "What bothers you?"

"I'm just realizing that I will never really know who I am."

"You've already figured out who you are," he countered. "You've already learned not to look for answers in your mind, but to trust your heart." She thought about that for a few minutes.

"Thank you Father," she said, a smile gracing her face.

"Hey did you tell her the good news?" Jack asked from across the room. "Hammond got permission for Dad to stay and offered him a research position on the base." He looked around the room at all the faces turned toward him. "What? Dad is what I call all of Carter's fathers."

"Don't remind me," Jacob grumbled halfheartedly.

"Is that true?" she asked hopefully.

"If you don't mind," he said honestly. "Although I would understand if you never wanted to see me again.

"No," she quickly interjected. "I would be honored to work with you again. To be honest it would be nice to have someone learning all this stuff with me."

"I know what you mean," he said softly, "and I promise I shall try to remember your true name."

"Actually," she admitted hesitantly, "I wouldn't mind if you called me Kianna. It feels right." They smiled at each other for a moment before Janet broke up the party.

"I have patients that need rest," she reminded everyone, "and you must be tired Sam." Jacob reached out to hug his daughter, grateful when she didn't flinch away from him.

"I have to return to the Tok'ra soon," he told her, "but I'll make sure to make some time for a nice long reunion."

"I too will soon need to return the Jaffa Nation," Teal'c admitted, "however I will attempt to return to the SGC on a more regular basis."

"Thanks Teal'c. Dad." She hugged him fiercely before Janet started getting impatient. Everyone grumbled as they slowly dispersed before Jack remembered something.

"Oh Daniel," he called from his bed, "you never did tell us how much they paid for Carter." Everyone stopped and stared at the archeologist.

"Well," he called out from the doorway, "remember when Aris Boch captured us and we found out Teal'c's bounty was Chulak?"

"Yeah," he said after a minute.

"Think bigger," he said with a smirk as he left the room.

"How much bigger?" Jack yelled but Daniel ignored him and rounded the corner out of sight.

"I'll say it again," Vala said from Cam's bedside where she and the rest of SG-1 had gathered unnoticed. "They are legends."

"Indeed," Cam said as he closed his eyes and entered a peaceful sleep.

The End.


End file.
